Baseball used to be Black America’s sport. From baseball games at early Juneteenth celebrations in the late 1800s and the Texas Colored League to the Negro Leagues, Black athletes and fans flocked to the sport. It was, at one time, Black America’s pastime.
But that changed with the rise of sports like football and basketball.
Since then, baseball has been seen the number of Black players dwindle. On opening day last season, according to USA Today, Black players made up 7.8% of the league. That’s 80 total players.
Yet many were optimistic that Black interest in baseball was on the rise.
“I really feel like there’s more Black players coming now, and I think we’ll see a wave in the next three to five years,’’ said Edwin Thompson, head coach of Eastern Kentucky University. “We look everywhere to find the best players where people may not be looking. You hear people say, ‘Oh, they’re just not out there.’ No, that’s an excuse. They’re out there.”
Thompson, 41, was one of only three Black head baseball coaches in NCAA Division I last season. Yet he had 18 Black players on his team last season.
And more change is on the way.
Last July, more than 100 former and current Black baseball players joined together to form the Players Alliance.
Per their site: “The Players Alliance is focused on creating an inclusive culture within baseball, providing greater opportunities for the Black community, both in our game and the places we live in, play in, and care about most.”
Their efforts and caring are about to be rewarded.
On Monday, MLB announced they committed $100 million to $150 million over a 10-year period to the Players Alliance to help improve Black representation in the sport.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Players Alliance President Curtis Granderson, Vice President CC Sabathia and Secretary Edwin Jackson, made the announcement in front of the media and All-Stars at the All-Star Game in Denver.
“Major League Baseball is thrilled to expand our commitment to the Players Alliance, which will include joint efforts to strengthen our sport’s engagement with Black communities,” said Manfred.
Granderson thanked the commissioner and team owners such as the Rockies’ Dick Monfort for “an opportunity to continue to keep expressing, to continue to keep showcasing, to continue to keep building what we ultimately want to see, and that’s to get a lot more kids of color access to this game, introduced to this game, playing this game, working in this game.”
MLB’s commitment begins in 2023 with $10 million in funding. There is a potential for an additional $5 million each year in matched contributions for other Players Alliance fundraising.
It’s a major commitment, one that will hopefully help increase the numbers of Black players in the sport.
“I will tell you that this was a big ask. This was a big ask for owners to give up this money. Even though it comes from central baseball, central baseball is owned by the 30 clubs,” said Monfort, who also sits on an advisory board for the Players Alliance. “But it was 100 percent unanimous.”
