I thought that this article was really interesting, and it brought up facts about baseball that I had never thought of before. Chris Rock's remarks on the current role of African American's in baseball altered my previous perspective and my preconceived ideas of baseball culture. The Statistics in this article shocked me as well. The fact that African America involvement in Major League Baseball has been decreasing for decades is astounding. It was also shocking how the author of the article remarks on how this decrease in African American players in baseball in a way diminishes Jackie Robinson's accomplishments to pave the road to race equality in baseball. Another interesting topic in this article was how Latino players are taking the fame away from African Americans in the Major Leagues, and how in 1993 they eclipsed African Americans in on-field presence (16.9 percent to 16.8 percent). This article was interesting and shocking and really changed my view of baseball's culture.
This article illustrates a lot of important points that I think are often overlooked by many baseball fans. I've been wondering about a few of these for some time now: the explanations given here as to why the number of African-American players in MLB has declined seems valid, and are points that I had not previously considered. The issue that I think is more difficult to put a finger on is the identity of black Latino players such as David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, and others. I was shocked to see so many examples of people who vehemently denied that these players were black- it seemed as if African-American players were threatened by the introduction of such players into the league. Chris Rock certainly has a point, but I disagree with him on this front. I've come to the conclusion that it is simply wrong to force labels upon these players, let alone anyone-it shouldn't matter if they want to be seen as black, Latino, or black Latino players. They are certainly not "posing," as players like Torii Hunter (who I otherwise have enormous respect for) believe, simply because of the color of their skin. Their identity should be their own personal choice, without being forced into a category based on criteria. I see some of this in Barry Bonds, although in a different sense- he vehemently defines himself as "a black man," not necessarily as an African-American. It would be fascinating to hear his take on this issue surrounding Big Papi and other black Latinos.
This article puts race and racism in baseball in a new perspective for me. It is interesting to see how the percentages of minorities in the majors have changed over the recent history and the reasons behind this change. It also takes into racial identity into account, and the debate arguing whether black latino players are black players, or is the term exclusive to African Americans. Black latino players have arguably overcome more obstacles than black players have while integrating into the majors. The author's metaphor of "[the] feeling they were consistently behind 0-2 in the count in their social encounters" represents the difficultly players such as Orlando Cepeda had and the discrimination they faced. Cepeda described the prejudice he experienced because of the color of his skin, as well as his hispanic accent. This debate perpetuates tension regarding racial identity. I believe it is up to the individual to decide how they identify, but in a sports world of statistics and numbers, it is almost impossible to do so.
This article highlighted several concepts that we have explored during this semester surrounding race. Foremost it highlighted the concept of how race can be perceived differently. I thought it very interesting seeing how Latinos were sometimes identified as different races, namely black, based on the circumstances. I also thought that the MLB's mislabeling of Latino players speaks to the story of race in baseball, ultimately shadowing Latino baseball history and reflecting negatively overall on the MLB. Additionally, another concept we talk a lot about in class is the American Dream, and who has access to the Dream. There are certain advantages and drawbacks to being identified as either Latino or Black in baseball and I thought this article accurately portrayed the way in which peoples' access to the Dream can be regulated, specifically on the topic of how race is perceived. It also is disheartening to see how peoples' race can be manipulated in order to give certain communities advantages of disadvantages.
This is a super interesting and complex article, and it definitely touches on many of the topics we have discussed in class surrounding race. Even though we have talked extensively about the Dominican Republic, I didn't really think too much about the blurred line that exists between African American/Latino/black labels. Evidently, physical appearance does not always match cultural or ethnic identity. Cepeda's experience shows a greater degree of struggle than most - he was subjected to a double whammy of sorts: he had to deal with prejudices that tore him down both because he was black, and also because he was latino. It is a shame that players like him have not been able to be regarded in the same way in which they self-identify. This article is so interesting because Latino participation in baseball is less talked about when examining integration and the breaking down of the color line.
The article identifies the unique complexities of race and the clash of cultures in baseball. To African Americans, black Latinos do not count as blacks. However, the discrimination against black latinos and latinos in general throughout the history of baseball puts them in the same histroical category as African Americans. The color line in baseball blocked all minorities from entering the MLB, yet those that were confined to the Negro Leaues still have some animosity towards each other today. Instead, minorities in baseball should join to erase any racism of one race against another in an effort to promote inclusiveness. Torii Hunter's statement that black latinos such as Vlad Guerrero are imposters disheartened me as I really like him as a player; however, knowing his polarizing statements in the past, it is not surprising. Race is a social construct, and I hope that players come together to eliminate ANY racism between ANY two races.
The polarization of race is something that we've discussed extensively, and it's interesting to see the intersection of that and baseball's unique obsession with statistics. It's hard to classify race, which can't really be defined by concrete boundaries. Rock's focus on "just black and white" is also a mentality that is very American, and differs greatly from the Dominican brand of racism that is described by Kurlansky. It's also interesting to read about the decline in African American players, and how that seems to be motivated largely by money, and not by lack of interest. That then has the consequence of no black players playing in the major leagues and becoming role models for younger black players, and thus interest continues to die out. It definitely is something that MLB has to address, and it will be interesting to see if they try to make baseball seem like a more financially appealing option to young, poorer athletes.
Typically when I think of race in sports I though more of physical appearance and did not think that the county or culture of origin would divide people, in an already divided sport, who could be classified into the same race. To me I can now see how this would affect team dynamics and other aspects of the game. When looking at players from the Dominican Republic versus someone else of color who is from the United States, while I know they are different races, I thought that they would be more welcoming to the diversity which would help to change the perceived race of the game.
Race in sports is very hard to grasp. In the old days it there were essentially only 2 races: Whites, and non-whites. Now, with the rise of foreign players from countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, many non-die hard fans do not recognize this and remain stuck in the past. It is strange, however, that Chris Rock focuses on the binary racial classification of strictly white and black. The saddest part was the decline of black players, mainly for financial reasons. Had it been for reasons such as they no longer have an interest in the game, the decline would be more acceptable, but it is not the case. Now young kids of African American decent will see the amount of suitable role models declining before their very eyes.
I thought that this article was really interesting, and it brought up facts about baseball that I had never thought of before. Chris Rock's remarks on the current role of African American's in baseball altered my previous perspective and my preconceived ideas of baseball culture. The Statistics in this article shocked me as well. The fact that African America involvement in Major League Baseball has been decreasing for decades is astounding. It was also shocking how the author of the article remarks on how this decrease in African American players in baseball in a way diminishes Jackie Robinson's accomplishments to pave the road to race equality in baseball. Another interesting topic in this article was how Latino players are taking the fame away from African Americans in the Major Leagues, and how in 1993 they eclipsed African Americans in on-field presence (16.9 percent to 16.8 percent). This article was interesting and shocking and really changed my view of baseball's culture.
ReplyDeleteThis article illustrates a lot of important points that I think are often overlooked by many baseball fans. I've been wondering about a few of these for some time now: the explanations given here as to why the number of African-American players in MLB has declined seems valid, and are points that I had not previously considered. The issue that I think is more difficult to put a finger on is the identity of black Latino players such as David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, and others. I was shocked to see so many examples of people who vehemently denied that these players were black- it seemed as if African-American players were threatened by the introduction of such players into the league. Chris Rock certainly has a point, but I disagree with him on this front. I've come to the conclusion that it is simply wrong to force labels upon these players, let alone anyone-it shouldn't matter if they want to be seen as black, Latino, or black Latino players. They are certainly not "posing," as players like Torii Hunter (who I otherwise have enormous respect for) believe, simply because of the color of their skin. Their identity should be their own personal choice, without being forced into a category based on criteria. I see some of this in Barry Bonds, although in a different sense- he vehemently defines himself as "a black man," not necessarily as an African-American. It would be fascinating to hear his take on this issue surrounding Big Papi and other black Latinos.
ReplyDeleteGriff
This article puts race and racism in baseball in a new perspective for me. It is interesting to see how the percentages of minorities in the majors have changed over the recent history and the reasons behind this change. It also takes into racial identity into account, and the debate arguing whether black latino players are black players, or is the term exclusive to African Americans. Black latino players have arguably overcome more obstacles than black players have while integrating into the majors. The author's metaphor of "[the] feeling they were consistently behind 0-2 in the count in their social encounters" represents the difficultly players such as Orlando Cepeda had and the discrimination they faced. Cepeda described the prejudice he experienced because of the color of his skin, as well as his hispanic accent. This debate perpetuates tension regarding racial identity. I believe it is up to the individual to decide how they identify, but in a sports world of statistics and numbers, it is almost impossible to do so.
ReplyDeleteAngus
This article highlighted several concepts that we have explored during this semester surrounding race. Foremost it highlighted the concept of how race can be perceived differently. I thought it very interesting seeing how Latinos were sometimes identified as different races, namely black, based on the circumstances. I also thought that the MLB's mislabeling of Latino players speaks to the story of race in baseball, ultimately shadowing Latino baseball history and reflecting negatively overall on the MLB. Additionally, another concept we talk a lot about in class is the American Dream, and who has access to the Dream. There are certain advantages and drawbacks to being identified as either Latino or Black in baseball and I thought this article accurately portrayed the way in which peoples' access to the Dream can be regulated, specifically on the topic of how race is perceived. It also is disheartening to see how peoples' race can be manipulated in order to give certain communities advantages of disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteThis is a super interesting and complex article, and it definitely touches on many of the topics we have discussed in class surrounding race. Even though we have talked extensively about the Dominican Republic, I didn't really think too much about the blurred line that exists between African American/Latino/black labels. Evidently, physical appearance does not always match cultural or ethnic identity. Cepeda's experience shows a greater degree of struggle than most - he was subjected to a double whammy of sorts: he had to deal with prejudices that tore him down both because he was black, and also because he was latino. It is a shame that players like him have not been able to be regarded in the same way in which they self-identify. This article is so interesting because Latino participation in baseball is less talked about when examining integration and the breaking down of the color line.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Kakkis
ReplyDeleteThe article identifies the unique complexities of race and the clash of cultures in baseball. To African Americans, black Latinos do not count as blacks. However, the discrimination against black latinos and latinos in general throughout the history of baseball puts them in the same histroical category as African Americans. The color line in baseball blocked all minorities from entering the MLB, yet those that were confined to the Negro Leaues still have some animosity towards each other today. Instead, minorities in baseball should join to erase any racism of one race against another in an effort to promote inclusiveness. Torii Hunter's statement that black latinos such as Vlad Guerrero are imposters disheartened me as I really like him as a player; however, knowing his polarizing statements in the past, it is not surprising. Race is a social construct, and I hope that players come together to eliminate ANY racism between ANY two races.
The polarization of race is something that we've discussed extensively, and it's interesting to see the intersection of that and baseball's unique obsession with statistics. It's hard to classify race, which can't really be defined by concrete boundaries. Rock's focus on "just black and white" is also a mentality that is very American, and differs greatly from the Dominican brand of racism that is described by Kurlansky. It's also interesting to read about the decline in African American players, and how that seems to be motivated largely by money, and not by lack of interest. That then has the consequence of no black players playing in the major leagues and becoming role models for younger black players, and thus interest continues to die out. It definitely is something that MLB has to address, and it will be interesting to see if they try to make baseball seem like a more financially appealing option to young, poorer athletes.
ReplyDeleteSam R.
Typically when I think of race in sports I though more of physical appearance and did not think that the county or culture of origin would divide people, in an already divided sport, who could be classified into the same race. To me I can now see how this would affect team dynamics and other aspects of the game. When looking at players from the Dominican Republic versus someone else of color who is from the United States, while I know they are different races, I thought that they would be more welcoming to the diversity which would help to change the perceived race of the game.
ReplyDeleteRace in sports is very hard to grasp. In the old days it there were essentially only 2 races: Whites, and non-whites. Now, with the rise of foreign players from countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, many non-die hard fans do not recognize this and remain stuck in the past. It is strange, however, that Chris Rock focuses on the binary racial classification of strictly white and black. The saddest part was the decline of black players, mainly for financial reasons. Had it been for reasons such as they no longer have an interest in the game, the decline would be more acceptable, but it is not the case. Now young kids of African American decent will see the amount of suitable role models declining before their very eyes.
ReplyDeleteConnor R