ARTICLE FROM usatoday.com (Click here for full story)

I saw this happening folks. I look at our Seattle Mariners and I no why a task force is being started by MLB head Bud Selig concerning the alarming decline of African Americans playing Major League Baseball. Our Mariners have zero African Americans on the team this year. This is sad readers.

Currently 7.7% of players in MLB are African American. Why is this alarming to Mr.Selig and many others? Well look at the NBA and NFL. Enough said. MLB has done a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE job in marketing to the African American community. They have started the RBI League to “try” to reach young inner city kids but that is token and it is not working.

Young African American kids are turning to football and basketball when they turn 11 or 12 years old and can care less about playing baseball. When a African American kid turns on the TV they see LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Shaq, Kevin Durant, Kereem, Magic, Kobe, the Manning Brothers, Drew Brees, Chris Paul, Charles Barkley and more. The only MLB players you see are Ryan Howard for Subway and that’s about it. Locally we see former player Jay Buhner doing commercials for goodness sake!! Yes Jay Buhner folks.

Young inner city kids need to see more African American baseball players doing marketing like CeCe Sabathia, Matt Kemp, Adam Jones, Torii Hunter and the Upton Brothers etc. When they see these players they might say “I want to play baseball like Matt Kemp”

As I type this blog, the Mariners are playing the Houston Astros here in Safeco Field. Readers I am searching to see ONE black face in the crowd. The three games so far at Safeco I turn on the TV and cannot find ONE African American in the crowd. Something is very very wrong on the field and off when it comes to African Americans and Major League Baseball.

So Commissioner Selig is starting this task force to see what in the world is going on when it comes to the huge decline of African Americans playing Major League Baseball.  I am glad to see Hall of Fame member Frank Robinson on the task force. As a sports fan it hurts to see the Seattle Mariners with a all white team along with players from South America etc. This week the Texas Rangers will hit Seattle with another team that has zero African Americans on the team. A African American manager but no African American players. WHAT? Their will be two teams on the field with ZERO African Americans on the field and in the dugout. Something is wrong.

This week a new movie on the late great Jackie Robinson hits the theaters. And on the 15th it is Jackie Robinson Day in MLB. I will be writing another story on my views of MLB and celebrating Jackie Robinson Day right here in the next few days. Comments? gcurvey@yahoo.com    Gordon Curvey

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