CSF Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 This is an eye opener. A lonely breed on the mound African-American starting pitchers have become few and far between in major league baseball. Since 1970, only 2 have pitched for the White Sox. By Bob Foltman Tribune staff reporter March 17, 2004, 10:55 PM CST TUCSON, Ariz. -- Before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, White Sox prospect Corwin Malone was trying to accomplish a rare feat for an African-American—becoming a major-league starting pitcher. There may be only five African-American starting pitchers in the major leagues this season, according to the Miami Herald, and that's dependent on rookies Edwin Jackson of the Dodgers and Tampa Bay's Dewon Brazelton cracking their rotations to join Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Darren Oliver and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia. With each of the 30 teams employing a five-man rotation, there are 150 starting positions to be filled. "That is shocking," Sox second baseman Willie Harris said. "I always knew there were African-American pitchers, but to say there are only three starters? That's amazing." Indeed, there are African-American pitchers excelling throughout the major leagues, but their success tends to come as relievers such as the Cubs' LaTroy Hawkins and the Yankees' Tom Gordon. Gordon was once a starter and one team executive told the Herald the relative scarcity might reflect teams turning African-American starters into relievers. Another factor may be fewer African-American teenagers playing enough baseball to build up arm strength required to handle pitching six or seven innings at a time. "It could be they weren't durable enough but they still had great stuff so they moved them into the bullpen," Harris said. Since 1970, the White Sox have had only two African-American starting pitchers make regular turns in the rotation. Jesse Jefferson made 21 starts in 1975 and James Baldwin was a fixture in the rotation from 1996-2001. Reliever Mike Jackson, a non-roster invitee who is trying to make the Sox and continue a career that has spanned 16 seasons, originally was drafted as an outfielder and converted to a pitcher in the Phillies' minor-league system. In his first season in rookie ball, Jackson made 14 starts and finished 7-2. He won eight more starts the next season before the Phillies moved him to the bullpen to clear the spot for a high draft pick. Jackson eventually became a closer with 142 career major-league saves. In his case, he said the move to the bullpen was the right call. Because he was converted into a pitcher, he didn't have a full repertoire of pitches to go through a lineup three or four times per game. But he threw hard enough and developed an excellent slider to be able to pitch one or two innings. "The African-American young player doesn't have the same access to instruction and teaching," Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "This is such a highly skilled game that you're taught like the golf kids and tennis kids at a very early age on how to refine and perfect those skills." Both Williams and Jackson said the lack of African-American starting pitchers is part of a larger problem—the declining interest of the sport in the African-American community. "I think everyone is playing football and basketball and everything else," Jackson said. "We have to get the African-American kids interested in baseball." How to go about that is the hard part. Sox pitcher Scott Schoeneweis said the biggest difference between baseball and the NBA is simple—marketing. "Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, that's who these kids want to be like," Schoeneweis said. "What can Barry Bonds sell? Every kid wants LeBron James basketball shoes. What can we sell, spikes?" When Jackson, 39, was growing up, the NBA and NFL didn't have the overwhelming media coverage they have today. He grew up playing and loving baseball at an early age and set his goal for the major leagues. Jackson was in the majors two years after he was drafted out of junior college. The path to the NBA or NFL—and multimillion dollar contracts—appears to be quicker than in baseball. "It's easier to get to the NBA or NFL [faster]," said Harris, who was drafted in 1999 and has yet to spend a full year in the major leagues. "There's a lot of stuff to go through [in baseball]." Harris runs a baseball camp in his native Cairo, Ga., during the off-season in which kids can attend free. Williams hopes a program that Major League Baseball instituted in south central Los Angeles last summer can help reach future players and be expanded to other parts of the country. "This is an international game now and while we're growing in one area, we're losing out in another," Williams said. "I'm absolutely concerned." Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune Only Jefferson and JB since '75. Wow. It's nice to see Willie running a free camp for kids in his hometown. Who knows, maybe another Doc Gooden might come out of a camp like that. And I definitely hope Corwin can come back and have a productive career, whether it be with the Sox or another team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 the only time in MLB history in the playoffs where an African American manager, pitcher, and catcher were on the mound together - our Sox in 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted March 18, 2004 Author Share Posted March 18, 2004 the only time in MLB history in the playoffs where an African American manager, pitcher, and catcher were on the mound together - our Sox in 2000 The White Sox. Always the trendsetters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighHeat45 Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 the only time in MLB history in the playoffs where an African American manager, pitcher, and catcher were on the mound together - our Sox in 2000 Baldwin, Manuel and Johnson, right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Is it because the black baseball players are such good all-around athletes that their skills put them in the field rather than concentrating on just pitching? I mean what else could be the reason there aren't more black pitchers? I don't buy into the prejudice stuff nor do I see any mention of that, but these articles kind of steer you in that direction. I do agree with KW and others that baseball should spend more time and money trying to encourage inner city youth to play baseball, but don't stop there, how about the Indian Reservations, rural America, etc? I am serious here folks. If kids are involved in sports they learn much about team work, fair play and all that plus it keeps them out of trouble. The one's that generally make it to the big show are the one's that receive college scholarships from High School and otherwise are from more middle class and well to do areas of the country. Baseball could save a kid(s) here and should do more to be involved. Maybe these sports writers can help also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Baldwin, Manuel and Johnson, right Nope...Napoleon, Cher, and Octavian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I could have sworn Jerome Williams is another. Shawn Chacon is from Alaska too. Not sure if he is African-American or not. Robert Person had a chance aswell this season. There is no doubt that it has nothing to do with race. I honestly think it is a coincidence. Most kids do not get the chance to play baseball like they used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLAK Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 What a croc of baloney. Like any franchise wouldn't put ANYBODY out there who could get guys out? It's just the ebb and flow of life, take the same picture a couple years ago and people were be saying where did all the white pitchers go? The top guys were all back or latin. And the expert instruction? Did JR Richard or Bob Gibson get expert instruction? Vida Blue? Dave Stewart? Dwight Gooden? They just had arms and baseball brains. This will all even out as the years go by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonkeyKongerko Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Jerome is from Hawaii I think or maybe somewhere in the Caribbean. Basically this article is just a writer who ran out of stuff to write about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Jerome is from Hawaii I think or maybe somewhere in the Caribbean. Basically this article is just a writer who ran out of stuff to write about. He is from Honolulu...which would make him an African-American. I do not know too many latinos who have the first name Jerome, and the last name Williams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Look, people, I think we're all missing the bigger problem here..... WILLIE HARRIS RUNS A BASEBALL CAMP!!!!!! This means that a WHOLE GENERATION of young players are getting their hitting instruction from WILLIE HARRIS!!!!!! WE HAVE TO STOP THIS!!! CAN'T YOU SEE HOW SERIOUS THIS IS????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Look, people, I think we're all missing the bigger problem here..... WILLIE HARRIS RUNS A BASEBALL CAMP!!!!!! This means that a WHOLE GENERATION of young players are getting their hitting instruction from WILLIE HARRIS!!!!!! WE HAVE TO STOP THIS!!! CAN'T YOU SEE HOW SERIOUS THIS IS????? I missed that part...I also think it meant to say that Willie attends a baseball camp, not runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1549 Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 There was a SI article last season about the african american baseball player. The article pointed out a trend I am sure most of us have noticed, that the African American baseball player is disappearing. The article in this thread concentrates on the pitching staff, but in general there are fewer and fewer african american baseball players. I will use the White Sox for example... 1993: Frank Thomas, Tim Raines, Lance Johnson, Ellis Burks, George Bell were all starters that were african american, as well as Bo Jackson who rotated into the lineup often. 2000: Charles Johnson, Ray Durham, Chris Singleton, Frank Thomas all started. 2004: Willie Harris, Frank Thomas. If you look at our minor league system, it is void of African Americans as well. Joe Borchard, Jeremy Reed, Brian Anderson...all white. I do not believe prejudice is the cause. I believe that competition between sports is the leading factor. In the urban areas more and more kids are turning to football and obviously basketball. I go to Yankee stadium often, and on the ride over I pass a park in Washington Heights (an area with a high concentration of african americans), and last july I saw at least three different fooball games taking place in the park. No baseball games were taking place, and the football teams were playing over the baseball fields. I have an African American friend who is a star basketball player and football player at my school. I once asked him why he doesn't play baseball in the spring, he said it is more of a white persons sport. Though many will say it is not a problem if certain groups do not like baseball because there are still plenty of ethnic groups represented. Still, it is hard to deny that urban trends affect society as a whole. Many white suburban kids are impacted by urban trends (music, clothing styles, hair styles, etc.) So the loss of urban interest could ultimately lead to an overall lack of care for the sport. Fortunately all it takes is one star to bring people back. I love to see guys with style and funk like Dontrelle Willis succeed, because a few Dontrelle Willis type players can bring the same sort of urban enthusiasm to baseball that football has been enjoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 1549, I suspect without research that your analysis is right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
israel4ever Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Vida Blue...where are you when we need you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1549 Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 1549, I suspect without research that your analysis is right I think it would take a great deal of research to prove what turned african americans away from the sport. I find it very odd that the decline seemed to have occurred when guys like Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Kenny Lofton, and Albert Belle were some baseball's most recognizable athletes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1549 Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 I could have sworn Jerome Williams is another. Shawn Chacon is from Alaska too. Not sure if he is African-American or not. Robert Person had a chance aswell this season. There is no doubt that it has nothing to do with race. I honestly think it is a coincidence. Most kids do not get the chance to play baseball like they used to. I noticed once that the correct spelling of Chacon has an accent mark over the 'O'. This implies that he is of latin american decent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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