On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was in the starting lineup for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He brought the number of Black Major League Baseball players to one.
Larry Doby played for the Cleveland Indians within a month, and the number of Black players doubled to two. By 1955, according to SABR, MLB remained 89.8% white.
We must go back to 1955 to find a lower percentage of Black players on Major League rosters than the 6.1% that were on rosters on Opening Day 2023.
According to an annual study published in USA TODAY, 58 of 945 players on the active, injured, and restricted lists on Opening Day were Black – the smallest percentage since 1955. Robinson would retire from the Dodgers in 1956.
The St. Louis Cardinals franchise is ahead of the sorry curve this season. On its 26-man roster, outfielder Jordan Walker, and pitchers Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks are African American. This comprises 11.5% of the roster.
Five teams have no Black players, and nine others have one, USA TODAY reported.
About 30% of Chicago’s residents are Black, yet its two teams have one Black player, respectively. Marcus Stroman pitches for the Cubs and Tim Anderson plays shortstop for the White Sox.
“It is frustrating,’’ CC Sabathia, vice president of The Players Alliance and special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred, told USA TODAY Sports.
“I’m not seeing light at the end of tunnel, but there’s some headway. It’s right there under the surface.’’
Baseball is not as white as it was in 1955. Opening-day rosters were packed with 269 internationally born players, which is 28%.
There were twice as many players from the Dominican Republic (104) as Black players (58) on this year’s opening-day rosters. The population of the Dominican Republic is 10.4 million. The U.S. population is about 334.7 million.
Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball development officer, said “I thought I could turn this thing around in five years. But it takes time.”
“Sure, we’ve got work to do, but the pipeline and foundation will bear fruit. We’ve just got to be patient.’’
Black baseball fans, including me, have run out of patience. While many top prospects in the minor leagues are Black, that 6.9% level is not a coincidence or misfortune. Baseball, and many of its fans, struggle to welcome Black players for whatever reason.
The effort to field more Black players must begin in the respective owners’ suites, then work its way down through the front office to the field.
For the pitiful Black participation percentage to change for the better, many of the top people in baseball must change their minds.
The Reid Roundup
While admitting “I don’t know how I would have fared in those times,” St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker honored Jackie Robinson for helping him become a Major League Baseball player. “He kept going through it, and not only able was he able to get through it, he did a really good job of playing baseball and was a superstar athlete,” Walker said on April 15, Jackie Robinson Day. “The things said about you, and said at you, while on the baseball field – and to still be able to perform is truly something special. “I’ll never have to experience [what Robinson did] because of him. This is truly a special day.”…Former Cardinal Jason Heyward and L.A. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the crowd in Dodgers Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day. “I get chills. Jackie Robinson’s story was the first story I read as a kid. I remember reading and learning about him. Little did I know it would lead me on a long path of following in his footsteps,” Heyward said…Roberts and Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker are MLB’s only Black managers. Baker joined former and current players in hosting 75 minority youths before the April 15 game against the Texas Rangers. “Whatever dream you have, don’t let nobody tell you that you can’t fulfill your dream. Ain’t nobody going to give it to you. You’ve got to work for it, and you’ve got to be prepared.” Baker said…Philadelphia Phillies veteran Josh Harrison is in his 13th Major League season. He is tired of the talk about baseball’s lack of Black players. “We’ve always had this conversation, and we continue to have it. There’s a clear-cut disparity of not enough representation. What’s the solution? I don’t know. But I do know that it doesn’t surprise me.”
