Baseball: an African - American Past Time?

Baseball: An African – American past time? Most baseball fans would likely say that they pay little to no attention to which ethnic groups make up their favorite sports teams, but it is interesting to watch how ethnic groups (specifically African - Americans) have faded in and out throughout the history of baseball. I believe that the rise and fall of African – Americans’ presence in baseball is due more to socioeconomic influences than it is to physiological differences. Baseball is commonly known as an American past-time. Before the integration of the sport there was the Negro Leagues, which introduced eight African – American men into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame (Ruck 169). The Negro Leagues brought African – Americans one step closer to an equal playing field with other Americans, and in 1975, after the integration of the sport, African – Americans made up about a quarter of all the players; a good number of them played among the best (Ruck 169). Today African – Americans make up only about a tenth of the major league players (Ruck 169). Why such a drastic decline? In the 1950’s, basketball and football became more popular among schools nationwide and were known for handing out attractive scholarships (Ruck 169). After the integration of baseball, many African – American families could not afford to send their son away on costly travelling teams (ruck 170). Since baseball was a summer sport, it did not get the same recognition of that as basketball or football; therefore, the travelling teams became the poplar way to gain the skills required to play at a collegiate level (Ruck 170). Needless to say, African – American boys began signing up for basketball and football because it was less expensive and readily available to them. Basketball and football have become favorites among many today, Malcolm Gladwell argues in “The Sports Taboo” that “Athletic success depends on having the right genes and on a self-reinforcing belief in one’s own ability (184).” To prove this he uses examples of medical evidence: African – Americans have greater bone mass than white Americans; black South Africans mitochondria can use blood more efficiently than white South Africans; differences in levels of testosterone and body proportions between African – Americans and white Americans (177). All of this is to prove that one ethnic group may show physiological characteristics that in turn make them favorable to play a specific sport. It is almost as if they are granted a super power as a race. My question is: if African – Americans are physiologically superior to play baseball than white Americans, why are there so many fewer now? Visa versa, if white Americans are physiologically superior to play baseball than African – Americans, then why in 1975, did African - Americans make up one quarter of the elite players? I agree with the latter half of Gladwell’s statement that a self-reinforcing belief in one’s ability has much to do with athletic success; however, it seems to coincide with Ruck’s stance more. An athlete who does not have the physiological characteristics to favor them in the sport they love, but whom instead is working two jobs so he can afford to be on the travelling baseball team would absolutely have to possess a self-reinforcing belief in his athletic ability. An athlete who possesses natural ability would require discipline to reach his goal but not to the same degree. Since the 1950’s, when African – American athletes drifted away from baseball, they have yet to make a big come back. Since then basketball and football have become even more popular; in 2005, forty seven percent of African – Americans chose professional football as their favorite sport, and only six percent chose baseball (Ruck 171). Ruck makes an interesting comment when he states “Nor does the black community still rely on baseball to gain the cohesion and collective self-esteem that the Negro Leagues offered it during segregation…” This makes the point that once African – Americans felt as if they were treated equally in sports, they did not find it necessary to play baseball anymore. Perhaps they found solace in being successful at new sports in which they were equals to begin with. I believe that African – Americans have consistently struggled with equality, but after the integration of Major League Baseball they were given a peace of mind. That peace of mind gave them the opportunity to seek sports they preferred and that were more available to them. As a result, the amount of African – American baseball players to date is much less than in recent history. Due to socioeconomic challenges the number of African – American baseball players has fluctuated, and may continue to do so.

Works Cited
Ousborne, Jeff, ed. Reading Pop Culture: A Portable Anthology. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print
Ruck, Rob. “Where have African-American Baseball Players Gone?” Ousborne168-172.
Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Sports Taboo.” Ousborne 174-185.

Cited: Ousborne, Jeff, ed. Reading Pop Culture: A Portable Anthology. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print Ruck, Rob. “Where have African-American Baseball Players Gone?” Ousborne168-172. Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Sports Taboo.” Ousborne 174-185.