“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

I watched the last three innings of Game 5 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. The Dodgers won are now the champions of Major League Baseball but do most African Americans care or even know?

Ladies and gentlemen most young African American kids move to playing basketball and football by age 12. These are pure facts. If you think I am wrong look at this. Next baseball season, in any major city in the United States, go to a high school game or college game. The team will be 89% white. The crowds at games will most of the time be almost 100% white. Young black kids are in the gym or a playground shoot hoops are tossing a football.

This past year there was less than 70 African American players in MLB. Yes than 70 folks. The lowest amount since 1959. As a sports fan this is terrible. Who is the blame readers? Is it MLB? I say YES. The RBI League IS NOT ENOUGH!

Here is a question. Do you see ANY current MLB star like Mookie Betts of the champion Dodgers doing any commercials on TV? Why not? He is a intelligent fella. Locally here in Seattle, do I see JP Crawford doing any commercials? The answer is no. Again the question is why? Do I see MANY current/ext NFL and current and ex NBA players doing TV commercials? YES. I see Barkley, Shag, Mahomes, Je Namath, Yannis, Damian Lillard, Eli and Payton Manning, Marshawn Lynch, Reggie Miller, Aaron Rodgers, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, D-Wade, Kareem, Magic Johnson, Emmett Smith, Joe Montana, and others. WNBA players too.

Like Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird, Angel Reese, Catilen Clark and others. I really only see former guest on “Music Inner City TV” NY Yankees legend Derek Jeter and Frank Thomas doing TV commercials on TV.

In reality almost zero current MLB stars doing commercials. Young African American kids AND adults do not see African American MLB players or hell, they do not see white MLB players also and this a fact readers. But they see MANY current and ex NFL and NBA players. So there is good chance they grow up wanting to be like them in playing football or basketball. This is a problem in my opinion the MLB does not see as a problem. And if they do, they are not trying very hard to change this problem.

During the World Series I looked very hard to find black faces at the games in L.A. and NY in the crowd. I saw very very few. It was as always, a sea of white faces. When I cover our Seattle Mariners for my “Sports Inner City TV” webcasts, I park my car about four long blocks away.

As I walk with my camera gear to T Mobile Park, I see almost 100% white folks standing in line to enter the stadium. When I see a African American in line I am shocked! I really am. ladies and gentlemen MLB does a TERRIBLE job in reaching the “hip-hop generation.” It seems they car about the “rock generation.” At the 7th inning of MLB games “God Bless America” is sang and played and people sing along. SAY WHAT? God Bless America? OMG!! It seems the sports STILL thinks this is 1955 and not 2024.

To me Jackie Robinson Day every April is TOTAL WASTE OF TIME!! On that day, every MLB player wears #42. Mr. Robinson as well as the late great Hank Aaron would not be happy to see less than 70 African American players on MLB and ONLY TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN MANAGER.

Former guests on “Sports Inner City TV’ Ron Washington and also former guest on my “Sports Inner City TV” TV program, Dave Roberts of the champion Dodgers.

(Pic above of Roberts during my interview here in Seattle recently)

Why is their only two African American managers in MLB and less than 70 African American players in MLB? And basically no current or ex MLB players doing commercials on TV besides Jeter and Thomas? Finally if I go up to most African American kids in America with a pic of Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts and ask them who this is, they will NOT know.

Or here in Seattle if I ask most young African American kids who is JP Crawford, they will not know. BUT they will know Steph Curry, Mahomes, Ja Marant, James Harden, Draymond Green, Dame DOLLA, Iverson and many many more.

MLB has work to do in my strong opinion to reach young inner city kids about the sport of baseball. A sport most young African American kids AND adults think is boring and “old.” Question is, is the leadership in MLB will to do more than a RBI League and a HBCU event every year and a fake Jackie Robinson Day every year.