ARTICLE FROM mariners.com (Full story click here)

PS April 15th is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB. It was a great day. He ended up being a great player. A “five tool” player as they say.

After Mr. Robinson broke in of course many African Americans followed. African Americans have played in a high level for decades.

But here is the question. Would Jackie Robinson be happy today seeing a lot of teams in the Major Leagues that have one. two or even ZERO African American players. And no African Americans in the front office also. Would Mr. Robinson be happy? NO.

Jackie died at 47 of a heart attack. Mainly from stress being a black man in America. Jackie had to deal with a lot of stress as “Negro” Major League Player. Being called nigger hundreds of times when he came to the plate and much more.

If Robinson knew that their are teams like our Mariners and other teams with only one African American player and no African Americans in the front office, that would cause him more stress.

Yesterday I watched the opening day ceremony for the Mariners here in Seattle. I saw very few African Americans. Ken Griffey Jr, first base coach Lee Tinsley and that was it.

But the Los Angeles Angels had four African American players in the opening lineup. Tampa Bay and the Phillies have three or four African American players. But many other teams are filled with white and South American players or Asians.

YES, we know that young black kids are not playing baseball after little league. They move to football and basketball. I put a lot of the blame on MLB for their lack of outreach to young black kids in the inner city.

The “RBI” League is not enough folks. Players like Tori Hunter and CeCe Sabathia are reaching back and are trying to get young inner city kids interested in baseball again.

I know Griffey Jr. tries to get young kids too in the inner city interested in baseball.

In my opinion it is a joke for Major League Baseball to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day. When their are teams who will not go after African American players on their teams.

Oh yeah, the two sports radio stations in Seattle, have barely talked about today being Jackie Robinson Day. If a African American was on the air with his or hers own program it would be brought up. But since their is no people of color on KJR or 710ESPN, it seems they don’t care.

Tampa Bay and the Angels and the Phillies have African American players on the team because they want them. They draft them and bring them up and HOLD ON TO THEM.

We traded away a potential five tool player in Adam Jones. The guy is only about 23. That trade upset me as a sports fan. He could have stayed in Seattle, been a great player and help get young African American kids in the inner city interested in baseball.

There are not African Americans going to the games at Seattle’s Safeco Field and other baseball stadiums.

Heck, our daily newspaper barely mentioned that April 15th is Jackie Robinson Day. So would Jackie Robinson be happy with the lack of African Americans on the field and in the front office? No he would not. As a sport fan, that is upsetting. Part 2 on this topic on Thursday. Gordon Curvey