Why is the number of african americans in baseball declining?

Question

I read recently that the percentage of African-American males in the MLB is declining. (That does not include latin players such as Vlad Geurrero) Why do young African-American males not have as much of an interest in the sport as they used to? Is it the NFL or the NBA?

Answer 1

Several reasons, really:

1) The rise of other sports. This is more of a long-term (i.e., the last several decades) trend. 50 years ago, baseball was really the only major national sport - while the NBA and NFL existed, there weren't yet the powers they are today. Thus, if you were a great athlete, you'd probably be focusing on your baseball skills rather than football or basketball.

2) Space: A higher proportion of African-American live in cities, where land is at a premium. There aren't many baseball fields, which take up a lot of room, but there are many basketball courts, which don't.

3) Marketing: The NBA has done an excellent job of marketing to African-Americans over the last couple of decades, and MLB has not done so.

4) Stars: There have been only a few African-American superstars in baseball over the last couple of decades. It's a lot better to have Michael Jordan and Shaq (who are very likeable) promoting your sport to black kids than Barry Bonds (who isn't).

Answer 2

a great sort of that's using the upward thrust in the attractiveness of basketball and soccer---extra opportunities for black athletes. In Jackie Robinson's days, the sport to observe and take area became baseball. The NFL and NBA wasn't around then or became in basic terms commencing out. these days, the NFL and NBA has finished a lots extra desirable attempt of advertising and advertising the sport average, not just to black people. you additionally can get to the precise swifter (shorter gaining awareness of curve) in basketball and soccer - the place as, baseball you have have been given to bypass to the farm team ranges and "learn the craft" and it takes longer. meanwhile, baseball has considered further and further Latin American gamers - by way of fact in some international places, surprisingly the Dominican Republic, it extremely is considered as a fee ticket out of poverty, and because communities can sign Latin American gamers for lots below American gamers (of any ethnicity). What may be finished approximately it? properly, people like Joe Morgan (the hall of Famer 2d baseman) are organizing and advertising courses to get extra African American infants attracted to enjoying baseball, doing extra sponsorship of babies baseball courses in black communities. Oh, and BTW, for people who declare that there is an attempt to "rigidity" black people to play baseball --- that's a strawman argument --- and is not the case in any respect.

Answer 3

OR maybe they aren't as good as they once were with the influx of the Hispanic/Latino (I never know which is the correct "label") players that are so fantastic. I think that the desire of the H/L players is often greater in a lot of ways. So many of them are getting out of real poverty situations and it is not only living out ther dream it is also helping their entire families and in some cases towns.

Oh, and also:

GO TIGERS!

Answer 4

Yes, black kids are more into basketball and football nowadays than baseball. It's just that those sports are more fun to play. It takes more athleticism to excell in basketball and football.