When the College World Series opens this weekend in Omaha, very few of the ballplayers will be black – a fact that in no way surprises celebrated comedian (and longtime New York Mets fan) Chris Rock.

Several years ago, Rock did a segment for HBO’s “Real Sports” that poked good-natured fun at many of baseball’s quirks to help explain the game’s sagging popularity among black youth. Echoing the complaints of many critics, Rock said baseball is too slow, too bland, and too wedded to its storied past to appeal to today’s hip-hop generation.