In American sports, Baseball seems to be affected by the decrease in the number of African-American players. The baseball is a game that has been appreciated by many across America and beyond. Having the Africans out of the game is worrying issues since this might be taken as racial discrimination. This decline was started being a notice in the 70s through 80s and the issue seems to worsen in the nineties. In the past years, the number of African Americans was always highest. The number of African American players records a decline of eighteen percent an issue some researchers are working hard to hide and give a false number of 26 percentages.
The decline happened after the celebration of Jackie Robinson win, which was celebrated by many. By this time, Latinos were not too much involved in sports. As the time went by, the Latinos started increasing and showing they are interested in sports while the number of African Americans declined. Up to now, there is no research that is able to explain clearly the reason for the decline. In this paper, I will argue the possible ways that led to the decline of African American and how it can be revived.
Contents
Introduction/Background
Wealth and population size
Community and family support
Racism
Solution to the remedy
Conclusion
Decline of African Americans in Baseball
Introduction/Background
In American sports, Baseball seems to be affected by the decrease in the number of African-American players. The baseball is a game that has been appreciated by many across America and beyond. Having the Africans out of the game is worrying issues since this might be taken as racial discrimination. This decline was started being a notice in the 70s through 80s and the issue seems to worsen in the nineties. In the past years, the number of African Americans was always highest. The number of African American players records a decline of eighteen percent an issue some researchers are working hard to hide and give a false number of 26 percentages.
The decline happened after the celebration of Jackie Robinson win, which was celebrated by many. By this time, Latinos were not too much involved in sports. As the time went by, the Latinos started increasing and showing they are interested in sports while the number of African Americans declined (Klein, p. 190). Up to now, there is no research that is able to explain clearly the reason for the decline. In this paper, I will argue the possible ways that led to the decline of African American and how it can be revived.
Wealth and population size
I believe the population is the major root cause of the decline of African American in Baseball. Of late Latino players have recorded a massive increase in Baseball than African Americans players. This is one of the factors that have contributed to the decline. However, the fact remains the Latinos are almost equal to African Americans in terms of population. Initially, the Latinos were not as many compared to African American players in baseball and in the country. The Latino population compared to African America does not have much difference as the one in the figure playing baseball (Baseball Demographics, p. 2000). This makes us shift our mind from population issue to wealth that is dependent on what each one earns. In terms of making a good amount of money, the whites are known to have good earnings compared to blacks. Baseball is an involving and demanding sport, which requires a lot of investments. Compared to the whites, blacks do not earn good amount of money and therefore they opt to shift to other sports that are not demanding (Oliver, Melvin, and Thomas, p. 1).
When joining colleges, the students are required to contribute a certain amount of money as registration fees and in between, there are other amounts of money needed to run the sport. This becomes a burden to Africans who cannot afford to raise such amount of money required in baseball and they end up on other sports. This becomes a discouraging factor has led to the decline of African American baseball players.
Whites are favored in jobs more than the Africans America and therefore raising money is not a big issue to them than it is with the blacks. To African Americans, money hinders them from having an equal competition with the whites. To form a game, baseball requires a large group of participants and therefore there is a need for baseball fields, league and other facilities that are not locally available.
Therefore, it becomes easier to register Latin American than African America talents and gloom them at several academies major leagues. This resulted in the increase of Latin American and a decrease of African American in Baseball.
Community and family support
Baseball, unlike other sports, required regular tournaments. This is the only ways baseball players showcase their talents. Baseball requires great community and family involvement unlike other sports (Hodge, p. 930). This is another arguable fact why African American baseball declined. College and community are an area that has a high chance of influencing players. Baseball, unlike other sports, is not easy to organize a league or a tournament and therefore funds are needed. If the families of the team players are not concerned or are not financially stable to support the sport, it, therefore, means that the player will be left with no other option other than leaving for another sport if s\he lack financial support. The weekly sports organized by the school serves as a significant social gathering and plays a major part in popularizing the sport.
If the school lacks funds to organize for the weekly tournament, the popularity of the sport will go down by far (Open-organizations, p. 1). The same case applies to the community. If they lack resources to fund the youth tournaments as well as the travel leagues for exceptional adolescents, then the baseball players will not have the opportunity to play baseball. This is clearly, what happened to African American baseball player. They lacked the community support to fund them for leagues and there were no opportunities to play, unlike the whites where the community supported them well. Moreover, due to lack of exposure, the African American lacked interest in Baseball and that is where they are recording a decline in baseball sports.
Family support very important in baseball sport. Family participation in baseball sport may be highly required due to financial support in a Baseball organization. The cost demanded is for baseball is high compared to other sports and therefore the unity and support is highly required. If a rift happens to occurs that may hinder the family support, the player may be left with no other option other than to drop out of the sport. This generally happens to African American. The rate by which black families in America divorces are high and this affects black players.
Racism
Researchers argue that the decline is not highly affected by racial basis but it is evident that White players are prioritized in baseball sports. The baseball requires a big but not bigger number of participants and therefore it may not have a chance for everyone to participate in the league on a particular day. Participants are chosen among a large number of players and this is where racism occurs. The couch managing the sport give high chances to white players than Africans and this makes the African Americans lose interest in the sport.
After the celebration of Jackie Robinson, the white started creating rifts with blacks and they did not want to hear any black player on the team (Lanctot, p. 1). They claimed that there are not there to be drafted. This led to the decline in African American baseball players.
School initiative
In most of the middle and higher schools, baseball is supported which makes difference in youth sports opportunities that are not offered outside. Football and basketballs are the most played and appreciated in most high schools and colleges (Pedroni, p.1). To become unique in sports, some schools adopted baseball as a unique sport that will unite and give opportunities to the youth having talents in baseball and athletics. There is collaboration with high school coaches and college coaches in encouraging which school to attend. The recruiter may offer a favor to coaches, which might not be offed by MLB scouts.
Schools recruit's referral students into baseball organizations with the school leaving the large and willing number out. Therefore, when the African American finishes the school, they are in a hurry to join employment leaving the whites in baseball sports. After being employed, the blacks' abandons athletics since it is of no use to them.
I also wondered why most the African Americans get interested in football sports more than they are in other sports. It is factual that football sports, unlike baseball, they appreciate every team player despite the race, ethnic or even class. Most of the schools offer sport as a major sport since it will have more participants than other sports and the more the participant, the more the sweeter the sport becomes (Open-organizations, p.1). In football, a student starts getting paid as early as they start participating in tournaments, unlike baseball where you can stay for years without starting earning some money.
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- Quote paper
- Victor Rodney (Author), 2018, Decline of African Americans in Baseball, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/421540
