“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

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Readers something is very very wrong going on in the so called “America’s Past Time” and that is the sport of baseball. I will try to break it down in a few paragraphs here on “Sports Inner City Online”

First of all let’s look at the youth of the “inner city”.  Young African American youth are not playing the game as a whole by age 12 or 13. They turn to basketball and football. Think I am not telling the truth? Well just look at high school teams and then college teams. They are mainly white and very very few African American players are turning out for high school teams and then college teams. They are in the gym hoopin or tossing a football on the fields of America. These are facts. Look at a high school or college game on TV. It will make my point.

Then in MLB, the amount of African American players having been heading downhill since the mid 90’s. Now their are only 8% or 9% African American players in baseball. Some teams have zero African Americans on their teams!! Can you believe that? But it is true. Very true.

And check this out. Here is a question. How many African American baseball players do we see on TV doing marketing or selling a product? I say zero folks. I do not see former guest on my  TV show “Music Inner City TV” Andrew McCutchen. I do not see another guest on my program, Torri Hunter or another former guest Curtis Granderson or CeCe Sabithia or Matt Kemp or another former guest Lorenzo Cain and others.

But how many NBA or NFL African American players do we see? How about ex players Shaq and Barkley. KD and CP3 plus Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin. Also the Curry Bros, D-Wade and of course LeBron. How about Chris Bosh and of course our own Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch.

And their are others but I cannot name a African American baseball player doing marketing of a product on TV. The question is WHY? It is crazy readers. Real crazy. And also very very wrong.

So here is what happens. Young inner city kids see NFL and NBA players and they want to be like Lebron or like Russell or like Sherman. They do not see a Cain or Kemp or Hunter on TV. They have their pics on there wall at home. This is sad. This is wrong.

Finally readers let’s talk about this. Our Seattle Mariners had the ONLY African American manager in baseball in Lloyd McClendon. Let me repeat. The ONLY African American manager in baseball. He had a season in which they almost made the playoffs and then a season where the Mariners were nowhere near going to the playoffs. In my opinion Lloyd should NOT have been fired.

But the Mariners brought in a new GM and he quickly fired McClendon so he can bring his own men in. So the other day the Mariners hired Scott Servais as their new manager. And also hired Tim Boger as the new bench coach. Of course both are white.

Did the Mariners EVEN INTERVIEW A AFRICAN AMERICAN FOR THEIR NEW MANAGER? How about a FORMER MANAGER OF THE YEAR in Dusty Baker? This is about three times the Mariners have not even interviewed Baker for a opening as manager. I remember Baker saying he loves the Northwest and does his wive. So what is the problem with the Mariners and Baker? Did the Mariners interview Willie Randolph or Ron Washington? Yes Washington has had a few problems but he is a proven major league manager. Late in the year he was hired as the A’s third base coach.

Servais has zero experience as a manager. He was assistant GM with the Angels. What has he done to become new Mariners manager compared to Baker and others? I do not understand this at all.

Do the leaders of MLB in New York even care that their are zero African American managers, do they care that African Americans are not attending games or watching them on TV. Do they care that young African American kids turn from baseball at a young age? It seems they do not care at all. They want to keep baseball in 1948. With organ playing and the singing of “America The Beautiful” at the 7th inning etc.

Football and basketball are reaching the “hip-hop generation” of young people. They realize this is 2015 not 1948. Readers I do NOT think legends Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron are happy with the state of African Americans and baseball. And for sure Jackie Robinson would not be happy. Just think folks, in April baseball for some reason has “Jackie Robinson Day”

IT IS A JOKE THAT MLB HAS A DAY CELEBRATING JACKIE ROBINSON!!! With zero African American managers and the amount of African American players going down the tubes and with African Americans not attending games!!! A FLAT OUT JOKE!!!!! BASEBALL SHOULD GET RID OF JACKIE ROBINSON DAY UNTIL THEY TRULY SHOW THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH AND POSSIBLE FANS.

Comments or questions? gcurvey@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/gordon.curvey or www.twitter.com/gcurvey