As the Major League Baseball All-Star Game approaches our fair city, one thing that will be noticed is the re-emergence of African American players. As the percentage of African-American players had dwindled to less than 8 percent, there appears to be an upswing as indicated by the presence of 10 players on the All Star roster. Derek Jeter, Edwin Jackson, Carl Crawford, Torii Hunter, Carl Crawford, Adam Jones, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Orlando Hudson, Justin Upton, and Curtis Granderson make up the list.
Unlike some, all are deserving, as there was no popularity contest – they earned it. With the exception of Jeter, everyone is under the age of 30, which bodes well for the future of African Americans in baseball.
Throw in the fact that there are only two teams (Boston and Kansas City) that do not have an African American on their roster, and the trend of participation is up.
Unfortunately, some teams do not have a lot of players in their system on the cusp of breaking into the show. The presence of the Latin-American player has had an impact because they can be signed earlier and in some cases considerably cheaper than their American counterparts.
Too long have we gone for the old line that the “black kid is playing football and basketball.” Really? Let’s make a comparison to the 16-year-old player the Cardinals signed from the Dominican Republic last week. Surely at 6’2” and 190 pounds, they all are not playing in the NFL and definitely not in the NBA. So why is there not more emphasis on the African-American player right here in our own back yard?
If teams can sign kids who are younger, and in some cases cheaper, compared to their American counterparts, who cannot be signed until the age of 18, then the Latin American player is going to have the advantage.
Thanks to the RBI program and others, the game has once again attracted African Americans. Hopefully, the Ryan Howards of the world and the nine other All Stars for this year’s game will have a greater impact in the future compared to turning their backs, as if to say, “I have mine.” I think this group gets it, and in the future there will be more All-Stars thanks to them.
Cardinals in first
Who would have thunk it?
With two of your top three pitchers spending time on the disabled list, no productivity from the third base position, three of the four outfielders sub-par to flat-out disappointing, and a shortstop who has been ineffective due to an anxiety disorder (that many teams other than the Cardinals knew about), and where do you finish the first half of the season?
You are in first place, if you are the Cardinals.
This is not the textbook way to do it, but Albert Pujols and a manager like Tony La Russa gives you a chance.
While some criticize La Russe for “overmanaging” at times, where would this team be if he just sat on his hands and did nothing? Maybe with about 10-15 fewer wins. For those who try and play along with La Russa and his thinking, you are wasting your time. His ability to apply information to match-ups is unparalleled.
How the Cardinals compete in the second half of the season is still a big question. Staying healthy is one thing, along with more productivity from Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan and Ryan Ludwick. They have to produce. If they don’t, it will be easy to lay blame.