*Can't link video but its here:
A-Rod Calls for More Diversity in Baseball After Tim Anderson’s Field of Dreams Walk-Off: ‘We Need More African Americans’
A-Rod Calls for More Diversity in Baseball After Tim Anderson’s Field of Dreams Walk-Off: ‘We Need More African Americans’
As recently as 1995, 19 percent of Major League Baseball’s players were Black. At the start of the 2021 MLB season, that number was down to just
seven percent as diversity in the sport continues to be a problem.
World Series games aside, Thursday was one of Major League Baseball’s most successful nights in years as they brought the 1989 film
Field of Dreams to life. For a sport that often struggles to attract a new and younger audience, they perfectly promoted and delivered on Thursday night’s event aired by Fox. During the postgame show,
Alex Rodriguez celebrated the night and hoped it helps attract more diversity to the sport.
“I got texts tonight, from people who haven’t texted me in 10 or 15 years,” A-Rod said to describe baseball fans being reinvigorated Thursday night.
“And here’s what I love fellas,” he continued, turning to
David Ortiz. “Four home runs by African Americans. This is a big night for baseball, it’s a historic night. We need more African Americans coming back like when we broke in.”
The biggest home run of the night was hit by White Sox star
Tim Anderson, who gave his team a
walk-off victory and gave the Field of Dreams event a Hollywood ending. Anderson is one of the few Black players in MLB. An All-Star, a batting champion and one of the most exciting players in the league, Anderson was undoubtedly introduced to a new slate of fans Thursday night.
As great as Anderson is at playing baseball, he doesn’t like watching the sport because “it’s boring.” For years, MLB owners and older fans have pushed back on players for trying to add flair and personality into the game. Players were instead told to play “the right way,” a sentiment that retired Cy Young winner
CC Sabathia has blasted for
pushing Black athletes away from the game.
Slowly, bat flips and celebrations are being accepted as good for growing the game, without players being scolded to play “the right way.” Thursday night, Anderson showed the audience he’s bringing energy to baseball, hopefully the sport allows him to do it.
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