Controlled Chaos Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Braves meet with Rainbow/PUSH officials By CARROLL ROGERS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 05/07/07 Upset over the lack of African-Americans on the Braves roster, members of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow-PUSH Coalition asked for a meeting with team officials. They got one Monday. Joe Beasley, Southern Regional Director for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said he and Dexter Clinkscale, the director of sports for the organization, met Monday morning for nearly two hours with Braves general manager John Schuerholz, assistant general manager Frank Wren and three other Braves officials. "The team slipped ... down to [no African-Americans]; it wasn?t something that just happened," Beasley said Monday afternoon. "I think it was a lack of diligence on the part of the Braves to recruit African-American players. There's not diminished enthusiasm for African-Americans playing baseball. It's simply the opportunity hasn't presented itself." Schuerholz acknowledged the meeting Monday but declined further comment, saying in a statement: "We had a meeting with Mr. Beasley and another member of his organization this morning and discussed a variety of topics." Less than 10 percent of major league players are African-Americans. In a recent interview on the subject, Schuerholz said: "You go to where the talent leads you. Finding major league-caliber baseball players is far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to demographics." Countered Beasley, "As I expected, [schuerholz?s] idea is the bottom line: I'll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from on the field, and that's fair. But the fact of the matter is if they put resources into recruiting here in the United States, and more specifically here in Atlanta, there are talented players here." The issue was brought to the attention of the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition during the 60th anniversary celebration of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. The Braves and Houston Astros did not have any African-American players on their 25-man rosters at the time. The Braves' total grew with the promotion of left fielder Willie Harris, who is from Robinson?s hometown of Cairo. "You slipped down to nothing, now you've got one, we expect it to start going up higher," Beasley said was the sentiment he voiced in the meeting. "We want to see incrementally it move back up, rather than moving down. There was an openness on [schuerholz's] part to talk and to be in dialogue and hopefully be in partnership in trying to make sure that it happens. He was very nice, a gentleman. I'm going to hold him to his word to work with us and move those numbers back up to a respectable level." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan562004 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 I think the issue has to be addressed at the grass roots level, ie inner-city academy type programs. Singling out individual teams doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. I'm sure the Braves and all other MLB teams are trying to put the best 25 men on their roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 It's Jackson's fault. He needs to get into the inner-cities and teach kids baseball instead of basketball if he cares so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalapse Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 In other news no one will be meeting with the Golden State Warriors to talk about their lack of American White players. That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish71 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 So a franchise that has won how many division titles in a row should have to change their team so it can have x amounts of this type of player. These race baiters need to work for a living and to stop making up controversy where it doesn't exist. If you are good enough to play the Braves will put you on the field. Its that simple. Tell Jessie to go down to Caracas and complain to Chavez about his country producing too many good baseball players, then run through the DR and do the same. Its not a conspiracy Jessie, its called the globalization of our national pastime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalapse Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Shouldn't Willie Harris count for two players? I mean, is there a better player in the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord chas Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 this is absurd. you should be in the major leagues if you have talent not because you need a certain quota of different races on a team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Pratt Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 This is as absurd as it gets. Holy s***. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 "There's not diminished enthusiasm for African-Americans playing baseball." Yes, there is. It's pretty lame to in some cases picking the color issue to in this case looking for more African-Americans specifically. These guys won't let racism die because they are always crying foul over stupid things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Chappas Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 You know what would be funny, if one of the Braves people said, "Oh s*** we thought Andrew Jones was black, ah crap, well.................hey we can call up Willie Harris." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Baseball is also lacking bald people, and this offends me. Plus, if they are bald(ing), obviously the MLB has a prejudice against us bald people since they make everybody cover up their afflictions with hats. I think I will be calling Selig when I get home to discuss this. It causes me great worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Ever since Matt Williams left, John Smoltz and David Wells have had to shoulder that load. Paulie's gettin' there soon though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 I'm betting there are more African American (Black? What's correct now?) players in the league than bald. Just watch, as soon as Paulie gets there, he'll be benched. David Wells? They only let him stick around because he is fitting the "fat pitcher" quota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Their first mistake was in even taking a meeting with them. I am sure they told them what they wanted to meet about before hand, and the entire thing could have been taken care of right there on the phone with "I'll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from on the field, thank you, and have a nice day." and then hanging up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 10, 2007 -> 11:21 AM) I mean, is there a better player in the game? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ginger Kid Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 a group of eskimos are meeting with the Dodgers tomorrow to discuss the same outrageous mistreatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 (edited) If they are concerned about race they shouldn't be. There are plenty players of African descent playing in the league. If it's about Americans of African descent, it should be placed in the laps of the black communities to work on that problem. It's a cultural issue, not an mlb issue. Edited May 15, 2007 by knightni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg The Bull Luzinski Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Why haven't Jesse and his PUSHers met with NHL about this issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 10, 2007 -> 04:45 PM) Why haven't Jesse and his PUSHers met with NHL about this issue? Unofficial rule: Whites get hockey, blacks get basketball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 I wonder if Jesse is aware that most Dominicans and Cubans are at least partly descended from Africans. He is such a joke. Use racism to fight racism? Brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoeLessRob Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 What a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2HH Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 (edited) Jesse "Black"son is a race baiting POS. Period. He does more harm to their plight than help, because he "forces" the issue, rather than letting people accept it at their own will. This does nothing but cause additional hate and resentment. Kind of how I feel about affirmitive action, perhaps at one time this was necessary, but not today. There are black doctors, lawyers, and scientists because eduation is just as available to them as to someone like myself, who is white, but doesn't have rich parents, either. This favoritism in modern socieity makes me sick. It's ok for them to call people hillbillys, honk-eys, and white-bread...but not the other way around? I have no sympathy for this. "PUSH", appropriately named, because they IMPOSE and PUSH their will upon others because everyone is afraid to call them out on it during this modern day politically correct BS society. And for the record, I don't care what color your skin is, if you're a POS you're a POS. Edited May 11, 2007 by Heads22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 10, 2007 -> 11:21 AM) Shouldn't Willie Harris count for two players? I mean, is there a better player in the game? See, this is where I am confused. Willie Harris is on the active roster, isnt he African American? http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/roster_...ve.jsp?c_id=atl I just dont understand how the Braves got singled out. Because it is Atlanta and there is a high population of African American people? Isnt the same true of Oakland, Chicago, New York? And this statement: "The team slipped ... down to [no African-Americans]; it wasn?t something that just happened," Beasley said Monday afternoon. "I think it was a lack of diligence on the part of the Braves to recruit African-American players. There's not diminished enthusiasm for African-Americans playing baseball. It's simply the opportunity hasn't presented itself." Doesnt Willie Harris negate this statement completely? Isnt he from Georgia, near Atlanta? I just dont get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggliopipe Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 QUOTE(kyyle23 @ May 11, 2007 -> 11:17 AM) See, this is where I am confused. Willie Harris is on the active roster, isnt he African American? http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/roster_...ve.jsp?c_id=atl I just dont understand how the Braves got singled out. Because it is Atlanta and there is a high population of African American people? Isnt the same true of Oakland, Chicago, New York? And this statement: Doesnt Willie Harris negate this statement completely? Isnt he from Georgia, near Atlanta? I just dont get it. I think the point was that on the Jackie Robinson anniversary they didn't have any blacks on their active roster. Willie got called up since then. Oh Jesse... Isn't this douche a Sox fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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