When the Cardinals roll into St. Louis to get the home season started, they will have a different look about them this season.
Yes, there are some new faces at third base and in the pitching rotation. But the one thing that will be absent is African Americans.
Yes, there are African Americans on the ball club. Even the Latin players, who if pulled over in the wrong part of St. Louis by one of our finest would almost qualify, normally do not acknowledge African heritage.
This is the first time since 1953 that no African American-born players will be in uniform to start the season. Just when you thought it was bad, how about the fact that the Cardinals have the distinction of being the ONLY team in all of baseball that does not have an African American on their roster?
So just who do the Cardinals represent these days?
With greats like Bill White, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie, Willie, Vince and Terry, one would have thought that this current Cardinal regime would have taken into account that African Americans have played a significant role in the success of this franchise. Apparently, they think they can do it in another manner that will not include African Americans.
Now that you think of it, just how many African Americans have a real role in the organization? The only visible faces that come to mind would be Michael Hall, Ted Savage, Keith Brooks of Cardinals Care, and Mike Claiborne, who has a role within the radio broadcast. None of whom get the exposure they deserve for their efforts in just looking around and seeing few like them within the ball park.
To say the Cardinals have turned their back on our community would not be totally accurate. They have done a lot with respect to charitable contributions that should not be overlooked. But how can you eliminate your best ambassadors to a community in not having any African-American representation whatsoever?
It is not only an insult to every fan and black employee, but what about all the players who before now did the right thing in and out of uniform as a St. Louis Cardinal when you are the only team in all of baseball who thought it was a good idea to exclude blacks from the roster?
It is no surprise that no other media outlet has picked up on this story or commented about it, probably because they could care less or use the line “We don’t care about a player’s color when it comes to winning.” Really? As for the organization, mum is the word also.
Congratulations, Cardinals. While you have a rich history of success on the field, you have elected to exclude an element of the community that has always played a role when it came to that success.
And you wonder why black people do not come to games. Even fewer will be there to watch your African American-less team. Then again, they have shown that they no longer care what you think.