Though it is not willing to label it a crisis, Major League Baseball nonetheless is concerned that African-Americans are deserting the sport. Currently, only about 8.5 percent of big league players are African-American, half as many as played in the majors 30 years ago. It?s not that there aren?t black players period; indeed, many Hispanic players are black. It?s the bigger issue of how the game is perceived by black kids in this country.
Former Tigers first baseman John Young noticed the dwindling number of black kids participating in the game in the late 1980s and decided to do something about it. He created a program in his hometown of Los Angeles called RBI ? Reviving Baseball in the Inner City ? and in 1991 convinced MLB to bring it in-house.
Over the years, the RBI program has expanded coast to coast, and as this is written, has developed six first-round draft picks and several other major league players. On the downside, there are still a lot of fans who?ve never heard of the program, and in some cities the program hasn?t advanced beyond a photo opportunity when it?s been announced.
Enter Cal Ripken. Prior to Monday?s Orioles home opener, there was a press conference at Camden Yards where MLB announced a partnership with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. MLB COO Bob DuPuy announced that Cal Jr., though the Foundation, will make a “seven-figure” monetary contribution to RBI. He also puts a face on RBI, which is perhaps more important than the money. A white face.
If that seems a bit odd, keep a couple things in mind. More than five years after he was an active player, Ripken remains one of the game?s more high-profile personalities. He?s a genuine household name, whether anyone in that household ? black or white ? has ever actually been to a game. Baseball?s highest-profile African-American player today is aging Barry Bonds, on the cusp of the game?s most sacred offensive record, but not the guy MLB wants carrying the torch for RBI, and I?ll presume you know the reason why.
At Monday?s press conference, Ripken spoke of RBI as a program that “uses baseball to teach life lessons,” while DuPuy said that RBI will “help keep the game relevant to the coming generations.” No one promotes youth participation in the game better than Junior, and MLB has to know that if more urban kids are playing baseball ? on decent fields with good equipment and competent coaching ? more of their parents may be inclined to show up at the box office of their local big league team. (Cue cash register sound effect.)
Based on the skill sets required to play the game well, baseball is a far more difficult sport to play than football or basketball. Thevery best professional players still fail to get a hit 70 percent of the time. Most kids these days don?t like to do hard things, preferring a thumb workout with a video game to playing catch.
MLB and its teams currently set aside more than $20 million annually for the RBI program. (It should be two to three times that, inasmuch as the game is swimming in cash these days.) It?s not too late to stem the flow of African-American youth away from baseball, and Ripken is the right guy to start closing that gap.
Money matters
» The RBI ? Reviving Baseball in the Inner City ? program has developed six first-round picks and several other major league players.
» Cal Ripken Jr. will make a ?seven-figure? monetary contribution to RBI through the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.
» MLB and its teams currently set aside more than $20 million annually for the RBI program.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].
