Why so few African-American Players?

The Negro Leagues. Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell. Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays. Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin, Ernie Banks, Dave Parker, Bob Gibson. These are the names of some of the most famous African American baseball players throughout pro ball history, and they had their origins in the segregated yet legendary Negro League teams. 

The presence of African American baseball players has been highly significant for many reasons: as proof of equal abilities and as an economic presence in a juggernaut, signature form of American entertainment. But in recent years the percentage of players identifying as such has been rather small. Meanwhile the percentage of Latino and Central American baseball players has increased; the number of Asian and Asian American players has risen steadily; there are players who hail from Europe (Germany, Lithuania, Spain) and even from Australia. Two Orthodox Jewish (and Caucasian) college players were drafted in July 2021. 

Representation of players has expanded widely, yet the percentage of African American players has been quite low in recent years. And although many of the Latino players are People of Color, they are almost always considered “Latino” and not Black players.

Compared to the NFL and NBA, which have majorities of African American players, the MLB cohort is quite small. (The NHL is even smaller.) But historically MLB has had a larger percentage, and many of its most celebrated players have been Black. 

Every team in the Major Leagues, since April 15, 1997, has retired the uniform number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, the most famous baseball player to wear that number.

Robinson, officially the first African American player in the Major Leagues, has come to represent not only his own outstanding athletic feats but also the dawn of integration in major league baseball. He has legendary status that is acknowledged each year near the start of the season, but it can also be seen as MLB’s way of patting itself on its back and dodging criticism in other ways, as far as integration, equality and parity. 

Especially in the early years of integration, Major League Baseball had a complicated history with Black America. Early players such as Jackie Robinson faced searing racist comments from certain players, and particularly Ben Chapman, the manager of the Phillies (who was also known to spout antisemitic comments). Robinson stayed rather stoic in the face of the abuse. Other “colored” players faced jeering from players and from fans in the stands. The passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did help tamp down the more overt racism, but in many cases it still existed, if more covertly. 

And even this season, an awkward verbally racist situation erupted during a game played between the Yankees and the White Sox, when the Yankees Josh Donaldson called the White Sox Tim Anderson ” Jackie.” (This incident had its roots in a 2019 exchange between the two players.) Donaldson apologized a few days later for this cringe-worthy comment, turning the image of Jackie Robinson into an insult. Whether it was sincere or a public relations motion, this has already marred the 2022 season.

Let’s look deeper at the two baseball teams in New York City, the Mets (National League) and the Yankees (American League).

New York City has long been a highly important city as far as African American culture and population, achievement and struggle. 

Since they began in 1962, the Mets have fielded several African American players and some were star players. Choo-Choo Coleman was on their first year team. Tommie Agee and Ed Charles were members of the 1969 World Series team. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were part of the 1986 World Series team. Other Black Mets include Willie Mays, Pumpsie Green, Al Jackson, John Milner and in more recent years pitcher Marcus Stroman. But in 2022 the Mets have just two African American players: Taijuan Walker, a pitcher and Dominic Smith, who can play first and outfield. (And Smith was recently sent down to the Minor Leagues, due to his poor playing stats.) They have several Latino players, a largely white Caucasian roster, and no Asian players.

The Yankees are one of the oldest baseball teams. Among their luminary Black players are Elston Howard (their first Black player, in 1955), Chris Chambliss, Willie Randolph, Charlie Hayes, Andre Robertson, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Don Baylor, Oscar Gamble, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and Al Downing. On the 2022 team Giancarlo Stanton is the sole African American player, although there are several Latino players and a largely white Caucasian roster, and two players of Asian Pacific backgrounds.

Scrutinized in this manner, this is awful, disheartening. Why are there so few African American players on the current NYC baseball teams? And New York isn’t the only city or region that has this embarrassing situation.

In the 1970s, Black players made up around 20% of MLB. (As of 2021) that number has fallen to about 8%. More than half the NFL is African American, to compare. 

Many baseball fans don’t realize how pathetic this is because they see players who are People of Color, and assume that many are “Black” in a general term. But many of those Players of Color are actually Dominican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and also some hail from Caribbean nations. 

If you think it’s absurd that the Mets and Yankees have so few African American players, look at the situation in nearby Philadelphia. According to a Forbes article, “For the first time since April 1959 — and barring any last-second transaction — the Phillies will break camp without one Black American player on its roster. It will also be the first time since 1984 that the Phils will not have a Black American player in the opening day starting lineup.

Nobody is saying this is intentional. It’s just a reflection of the game, with the Black American player pool shrinking down to about 8% in Major League Baseball. But it does feel wrong — wrong because not a single Black American player is on a team whose home city is more than 40% Black.”

WHY?

Why are there so few African American players in the major leagues in recent years? There are several reasons: some are financial, some have covertly racist tendencies lurking behind them, and others could be linked to pop culture.

One of the most obvious reasons is that African American male athletes who are interested in team sports have been opting not for baseball, but more often instead for football and basketball. They are playing high school and college basketball and football. Then they are recruited more often for these team sports as well. In 2020, 57.5% of NFL players identified as African American, according to a Zippia article. 

This is in vast contrast with baseball. And people are aware of this troubling issue. In fact, according to a Cronkite News piece, “the number of African American players in the MLB has fallen nearly every year since 1981, and by 2016 it plummeted to 6.7%, the lowest percentage since 1957.” 

Around the country, baseball coaches are noticing that fewer poorer students are playing baseball, due to the higher fees involved with playing club and travel baseball teams. The thinking is that this impacts African American youngsters more than Caucasian youngsters. 

Basketball, for one, is much less pricey: get a basketball and go to the local playground or school yard. And for urban schools that do not have access to large outdoor fields, basketball is an easier fit in the school gym.

Another set of issues involves the perception of baseball itself.

When young male athletes do not see themselves on the playing field, they are less likely to opt for that sport. This is a self perpetuating problem. And also there have been complaints about baseball being a slower-paced sport than basketball, and to some extent football. Yes, people of all races have at times complained that major league baseball is too slow, too boring, and when youngsters hear these gripes, they are less likely to strive to play that sport. 

Major League Baseball is aware of its poorer press amongst the African American community. There is the growing realization that the sport does not “look like” the United States because of the dearth of Black players. A Michigan baseball coach opined to USA Today that “The game of baseball is too white.” Making a big splash about Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 is one way in which the League pays homage to Robinson’s achievements and of the place within MLB of African American players in general. 

But is this public relations frothiness? Will this yearly tribute really help to bring in more African American players and fans? Or is it window dressing?

There are other issues related to this: how many Black team managers, coaches, scouts, and general managers are employed? How many Black umpires? 

As a baseball fan for my whole life, I am distressed by this problem of baseball having so few African American players, not only in the past few years but decades. The major league does not represent the population makeup. There should be initiatives to bring more parity to the sport.