Wayne McDonnell | Forbes.com
April 16, 2013
Our very own Wayne McDonnell wrote this compelling piece on how baseball ought to be honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson.
“It seems as if the customary articles that are written by sportswriters on the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier pertains to the declining participation of African Americans in the game of baseball. With each passing year, the numbers seem to get progressively worse, but the theories regarding the reasons remain the same. The vast array of college scholarships that football and basketball offer athletes of all races are too enticing to pass up. The methodical and even tedious pace of the game lacks the consistent bursts of energy that normally accompanies other sports. Baseball is by no means an inexpensive game only played on the sandlots. The costs of playing competitive baseball today at the amateur level are exorbitant due to travel requirements, tournament fees, uniforms, equipment and playing on multiple teams. Even with all of Major League Baseball’s exemplary efforts with innovative programs such as the Urban Youth Academies, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (R.B.I.) and overwhelming support from noteworthy organizations, there still seems to be a genuine disconnect.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/waynemcdonnell/2013/04/16/a-celebration-of-jackie-robinsons-legacy-shouldnt-begin-and-end-on-april-15th/
