It’s not a surprise, yet still disappointing, to see so few black players on the respective National and American League All-Star Game rosters.
The National League had no African American players voted in as starters by fans. Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison is the lone black player selected as a reserve by Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon.
Harrison, who was also named to the 2014 NL All-Star squad, said his selection “is not surprising to me.”
“(I’m) just staying the course and knowing it’s a tough game but you have to enjoy it. I play with a lot of passion and have fun.” He also has been hit by 18 pitches this year, the most in the Majors.
Eric Thames, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, has 20 home runs but went into a lengthy slump in June. Reliever Corey Knebel is the Brewers’ representative on the team. Should any outfielder opt out of the game because of a nagging injury, Thames could be named as the replacement.
St. Louis Cardinal fans can cheer for pitcher Carlos Martinez and veteran catcher Yadier Molina, who were named to the NL roster on Sunday. Two Hispanic players, Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and Miami Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, are NL starters. In all, eight of the NL’s 31 players have a Latino heritage.
The NL starters are C: Buster Posey, Giants; 1B: Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals; 2B: Daniel Murphy, Nationals; SS: Zack Cozart, Reds; 3B: Arenado, Rockies; OF: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies; OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals; OF: Ozuna, Marlins.
The NL reserves C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals; 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks; 1B: Joey Votto, Reds; 2B: Josh Harrison, Pirates; 2B: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies; SS: Corey Seager, Dodgers; 3B: Jake Lamb, Diamondbacks; OF: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers; OF: Michael Conforto, Mets; OF: Ender Inciarte, Braves; OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins; RHP: Wade Davis, Cubs; RHP: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks; LHP: Brad Hand, Padres; RHP: Greg Holland, Rockies; RHP: Kenley Jansen, Dodgers; LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers; RHP: Corey Knebel, Brewers; RHP: Carlos Martinez, Cardinals; RHP: Pat Neshek, Phillies; LHP: Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks; RHP: Max Scherzer, Nationals; RHP: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals.
Aaron Judge prevailed as the leading vote-getter among all players and will start in the AL outfield along with the Houston Astros George Springer, both are black. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was voted in as a starter, but could miss the game as he recovers from a torn ligament in this thumb. While he and the Angels say he is not rushing back to action for the All-Star Game, he will begin a rehabilitation assignment this week in the minors. Either reserve Michael Brantley of the Cleveland Indians or Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox, both black players, will most likely start in Trout’s place if he is unable to play.
Four AL starters are Hispanic, as are 15 of its 31 players. There are four black players on the AL roster.
The AL starters are C: Salvador Perez, Royals; 1B: Justin Smoak, Blue Jays; 2B: Jose Altuve, Astros; SS: Carlos Correa, Astros; 3B: Jose Ramirez, Indians; Judge, Yankees; Springer, Astros; Trout, Angels and DH: Corey Dickerson, Rays.
The AL reserves are C: Gary Sanchez, Yankees; 1B: Yonder Alonso, Athletics; 2B: Starlin Castro, Yankees; 2B: Jonathan Schoop, Orioles; SS: Francisco Lindor, Indians; 3B: Miguel Sano, Twins; OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox; OF: Michael Brantley, Indians; OF: Avisail Garcia, White Sox; DH: Nelson Cruz, Mariners; RHP: Dellin Betances, Yankees; RHP: Yu Darvish, Rangers; RHP: Michael Fulmer, Tigers; LHP: Dallas Keuchel, Astros; LHP: Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox; RHP: Corey Kluber, Indians; RHP: Lance McCullers Jr., Astros; LHP: Andrew Miller, Indians; LHP: Chris Sale, Red Sox; RHP: Ervin Santana, Twins; RHP: Luis Severino, Yankees; and LHP: Jason Vargas, Royals.
Big gift of Negro League Museum
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are donating $1 million to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, thanks to an idea by Tony Clark, the Players Association’s first black executive director.
Last year, Clark proposed the idea to Commissioner Rob Manfred that MLB and its players should create some type of partnership with the NLBM.
Last Wednesday, both men were in Kansas City to announce the grant to the museum.
“Anytime we have a conversation about growing and advancing the game, finding similar ground is relatively easier to do and this was indeed one of those,” Clark said.
“Once I had the opportunity to tour the halls here, I realized that the Negro Leagues’ history is indeed our game’s history.”
As proven by the lack of participation by black players in the 2017 All-Star Game, MLB has a chore in getting more African Americans involved in the game. Manfred said the partnership with the NLBM is part of that effort.
“Whenever you try to rebuild something like rebuild African-American participation in our game, you need a great foundation,” Manfred said.
“The foundation of our effort with respect to African-American players had to be an effort to make young players understand the Negro Leagues, understand the significance of the Negro Leagues to African-American history and more broadly, to American history.”
Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger rightly called out MLB for its lack of interest in the museum.
“For far too long, the museum has done its vital work in the dark, and alone. Baseball revenues have skyrocketed toward $10 billion, and the museum has been at best an afterthought,” Mellinger wrote.
“There have been smaller donations from time to time – $25,000 here, or $10,000 there – but the treatment has bordered on condescension.
“Baseball has generally viewed the museum too much like a charity asking for a handout, and not what it is – an inspiring place keeping alive a critical part of baseball and American history.”
Clark said a major gift from MLB and its players should have come long ago.
“I’ll throw myself under the bus here. I know as a player I didn’t do enough in terms of providing support to the museum and its history. But I think more should’ve been along the way,” he said.
In addition to the museum, Kansas City will also be home to the Urban Youth Academy, a $19 million state-of-the-art baseball training facility that will hopefully attract more black youths to the game.
Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is #aareid1.
