MLB players’ union chief says it’s ‘disappointing’ and ‘disheartening’ that no US-born black player is in the Astros-Phillies World Series – as he puts absence down to inattention by the league
Players’ union head Tony Clark said years of inattention by Major League Baseball had contributed to the World Series being played without any US-born black players for the first time since 1950.
‘It is truly unfortunate that any young black player may be watching these games tonight is not going to see someone that looks like them and as a result may make a decision against continuing to play our great game and move on to something else,’ Clark said before Friday night’s opener between Houston and Philadelphia.
‘That is disappointing and disheartening.’
Players’ union head Tony Clark said years of inattention by MLB had contributed to the World Series being played without any US-born black players for the first time since 1950
Houston’s Dusty Baker lamented the absence of a US-born black player in this year’s World Series
Astros’ Dusty Baker had lamented the absence of a US-born black player in this year’s World Series earlier today.
Clark, 50, was a major league first baseman from 1995-2009, making the AL All-Star team in 2001.
‘When I first started playing, players made sure, black players on your team and other teams made sure that you were encouraged and supported, recognizing that even at that time, the numbers weren’t as high, so you were less likely in a lot of ways to see someone that looked like you or came from the same place that you did,’ he said.
‘Toward the end, less and less of those conversations were being had because there were less of those players to have them with.’
Clark became executive director of the players’ association in 2013, the first player to hold the job.
‘How we got here didn’t happen overnight. There have been conversations about this topic for a long period of time,’ he said.
Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros hits a home run in the second inning in Game 1 of the Series
Tucker celebrates after hitting a homer against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series Friday
‘As a result of us not getting to this place overnight, getting back out of it is not going to happen overnight either. But as long as there are people who are committed to providing opportunities, providing opportunities both on the field and off the field, there’s going to be an opportunity for our game to be better tomorrow than it was today.’
Baked added: ‘I don’t think that that’s something that baseball should really be proud of.
‘It looks bad. It let’s people know it didn’t take a year or even a decade to get to this point. But there is help on the way. You can tell by the number of African American No. 1 draft choices.’
It should be noted that black players from places such as Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will be a part of this Series.
Aaron Nola #27 of Philadelphia Phillies reacts during a mound conference in the second inning
Pitching coach Joshua Miller of Houston Astros meets with Justin Verlander in fourth inning
Houston’s Baker is one of only two black managers and Chicago White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams is the only black leader of baseball operations for a major league team.
Clark said the responsibility to increase the percentage of black executives in decision-making positions is up to management.
‘To the extent that we’ve only got a couple black coaches, to the extent that we only have a few black front office staff,’ he said. ‘It’s a conversation that I think you should have with those in those positions as to why that continues to be the case when they 100 per cent have the ability to control who they hire and who they don’t.’
Clark said about 30 players met with MLB officials in 2006 to express what they were seeing and what areas needed to be addressed.
‘It’s 2022 and we’re still having the same conversations that we had back in 2006,’ he said. ‘Now we’re sitting here 16 years later having the same conversation.’
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