2007-05-26 17:42:29 · 11 answers · asked by Phantom_1 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
I think black people have turned a cheek on baseball. This is because football and basketball are clearly more popular in the African-American community because of the extra schloarship opportunities in those sports, the lower expense to play, and the better marketing those sports do with the people in those communties. The other thing which has happened is that the Asian and Hispanic communities are so into baseball that children from those families are more inclied to get into baseball because there are many great players to look up to.
Barry Bonds could be the greatest ambassador to the African-American community, as could Ken Griffey, but since baseball has marginalized Bonds and mocked Griffey's injuries the last five years, this has not happened.
2007-05-27 02:51:57 · answer #1 · answered by Patrick M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In a way yes, but only because it is good for business. It is better to invest money in Latin America where there is a much larger pool of potential "big leaguers" due to their low national age laws and little competition from the NBA or NFL. These leagues can also share some of the blame due to their intense marketing and recruitment of inner city youths. The possible paycheck from the NBA or NFL one year after high school is a much larger carrot than the MLB player progression which usually takes much longer.
The MLB is going to invest the most money and energy where it gets the greatest return on that investment, just like any other business. So I don't know what more MLB can do without more interest from black youths and more support from the black community.
2007-05-26 18:07:55 · answer #2 · answered by Aaron Alan 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. If anything, I think more black athletes have turned a cheek on baseball. It is harder to make it to the pros in baseball, where the money is. What 19-20 year old wants to go to baseball, where you might have to play 5 or more years in the minors, making ok money (money I would not mind having) just to try to make it to the majors? In basketball or football, at that age, you can get a big contract, make the money and be playing in the pros right away. They go where the money is.
2007-05-27 02:29:03 · answer #3 · answered by Jeff W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
turn there cheek's on black player's?
i don't get what your question is?
sir if a baseball player can throw a baseball 100 mile's an hour.
or hit a a baseball 500 feet.
then your gonna get million's of dollar's from a team.
no matter what color your skin is.
some of the highest paid player's are black player's
if your question is there not doing anything to promote MLB to black people that's be cause most black people aren't interested in baseball.
which lead's to this question if you owned a movie theater that show's only french movie's would you spend money to promote your theater to people you know that are not interested in french movie's?
nobody's turned a cheek toward's anybody.
you win a championship you get a parade.
you lose you get fired.
no matter what color you are.
2007-05-26 19:48:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a fair question, at least the MLB thinks so. There is a program, Revitalizing Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) that is intended to help gifted African-American high school athletes to opt for baseball over football or basketball. There is a facility in Compton, CA and there are RBI programs in a number of cities around the country to foster baseball as a choice among inner cities athletes.
2007-05-26 22:38:57 · answer #5 · answered by mattapan26 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not in any way, shape, or form. The black athletes now want to play football and basketball. I think most of your top athletes, White, Black, or Hispanic are going to gravitate to football just for the simple fact it's more popular. Even in high school everyone wants to play football or basketball, not baseball.
2007-05-26 21:22:40 · answer #6 · answered by oysterchowder2004 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I do not at all. There are MANY black baseball players, and I don't think they are discriminated by MLB at all. You ask the question but offer no evidence to the contrary or to support the insinuation behind your question.
Chow!!
2007-05-27 01:00:51 · answer #7 · answered by No one 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, the reason for the shortage of black players is that they find baseball to be boring and also less lucrative than football or basketball...the big endorsements are in those two sports, and everyone wants to be the next lebron james, kobe bryant, ladainian tomlinson, etc. more than they want to be the next barry bonds or other great african-american baseball player
2007-05-26 18:08:18 · answer #8 · answered by sabes99 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't think MLB has turned its back on Black players. Quite the contrary, I think black players have turned their back on MLB.
2007-05-26 19:16:07 · answer #9 · answered by Mister 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not at all. there are so many great players that are black.. one example is vladimir guerrero. but there are many more
2007-05-26 19:57:51 · answer #10 · answered by ashley s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋