Q & A #2

Shawon, as we show our appreciation for Jackie Robinson, what do you think is the reason that black players are less prevalent in the game today?
Melissa M.
Carlsbad

Melissa, first, you need to step your terminology game way up. “Black” here doesn’t work, because there are tons of players from Latin countries of African descent who look “black”, such as Carlos Delgado. There are also people from Latin countries who look “white” like Rafael Palmeiro. Thirdly, there are people from America that look “black”, like Jackie Robinson. Fourthly, there are people from Venezuala like Josh Barfield whose name indicates there was some sort of mixup. And then there’s Esteban Yan and Bruce Chen. And Tomokazu Ohka is Japanese, while Dave Roberts is only half, and Brian Roberts is even less than that! We’re concerned with the third group, African Americans, whose presence in baseball has dwindled over the past few decades. All weekend, I heard various media people citing “the lure of basketball and football in inner cities” as the cause for this trend. However, not once did I hear the correct answer: “Me”. Not “me” as in Shawon but “me” as in the media spokesman speaking about himself. What the media has chosen to do to Barry Bonds over the past twenty years is just despicable. African Americans have been able to watch three of their own, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, and Barry Bonds, contend to be the best hitters of all time, and when the former two saw their careers halted by injury, Bonds’ kept getting more and more amazing. So, does the media applaud his career and give him to praise he deserves? No, they try to break him down into nothing, and instead give the honor to... Roger Clemens. Clemens’ career is exremely similar to Bonds’, and his selfish play by far exceeds that of the great Barry. Can you imagine what the media would say if Barry decided to wait until May or so to start playing?

These newspaper men have taken the great African American hero away from the youth, and now they ask why African American kids aren’t interested in the sport. I only hope that this blatant racism by a predominantly white media will be exposed in time.

Sorry for the unpleasant by necessary seriousness, next weeks theme: Stand By Your ‘Mando!