The Decline of Black Players in MLB Should Be a Warning About the War on DEI

As Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson and his pioneering contributions to the game, I can’t help but think about the fact that the league is reporting a historically low number of Black American players in its ranks: only 6%.

I think this is a teachable moment at a time when diversity efforts across various arenas (no pun intended) have come under attack. Major League Baseball, unfortunately, is a prime example of what it looks like to talk the talk without always walking the walk.

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{snip} Over the past few decades, Major League Baseball has shown what it looks like to outwardly celebrate diversity (with things like Jackie Robinson Day on April 15) while thumbing your nose at it in practice.

In recent years, we’ve seen more than one team abandon its longtime home and look to greener pastures in whiter communities. We’ve seen stubborn inequality in the management ranks. We’ve also heard Black players speak out about the racism they’ve experienced from fans at games — including home games — and about how having more Black players could combat that.

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