Call For More Diversity on the Mound?
This strikes me as
rather silly:
The percentage of black pitchers in the major leagues last year was half of what it was in 1983.
The University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics said Thursday that three percent of pitchers, one percent of catchers and 11 percent of infielders were black last year, based on 40-man rosters listed in 2005 media guides. That compares with 26 percent of outfielders.
In 1983, 6.6 percent of pitchers were black, the study said.I'll probably take some flak for saying this, but isn't it obvious to everybody that the area where blacks have a huge advantage in sports is their footspeed? We all know that the best sprinters in the USA are black. In the NFL last year, the top 30 running backs by yards gained
were all black. At wide receiver the picture is much the same; the top 30 in yards gained receiving included two white guys; Jeremy Shockey at 28th and Todd Heap at 30th.
Yet nobody looks at those figures and says that the NFL is practicing racism against white running backs and wide receivers. We all accept that talent is not evenly distributed at those positions.
Note: This is not to say that racism doesn't exist in baseball or other sports. But I don't think it's extensive at the player level; at the coach/manager/GM level deponent sayeth not.
