European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 22, 1992 the stars and stripes Black athletes pick football basketball Over baseball b Page 25 analysis by Jeff Shain United press International if Jackie Robinson were in his prime today head probably be playing football. Forty five years after Robinson broke the color Barrier with the Brooklyn dodgers baseball finds itself in a Poten i tial crisis situation As Young Black ath letes turn away from the game. The percentage of Blacks in the major leagues has decreased for the first time since Robinsons entry in 1947. The minor leagues have become predominantly White. And Black participation in College baseball is virtually nil. A for a Long time when i looked out on the Field i was seeing dark faces. I was saying to myself a we be still got it a a said Joe Black a former negro leagues Pitcher who later starred with the dodgers. Quot then i went to Toronto about three years ago and former Blue jays outfielder George Bell came up to talk to me. Quot then i realized it As i was talking to him. I said a hey Man you re not an american Are you a and he said no he was dominican. It dawned on me that there Are More latin players out Here than i thought. It turns out that fewer Black americans Are playing baseball than  the statistical breakdown shows a dramatic drop off. From a High of 18.9 percent Blacks in the major leagues in 1986, the numbers have fallen to just 17.2 percent last year. That a the lowest level since the Early 1970s, As the civil rights Era was coming to an end. Attendance numbers Are even More striking As statistics show that Only 6 percent of those who attend baseball games Are Black. The National population is 11.2 percent Black. Quot we re concerned a said Leonard Coleman baseball a director of Market and game development. Quot if baseball is going to remain a Strong game its got to Appeal to All segments of the population. Those statistics have not gone  its even getting to the Point where sports Are being placed in different racial stereotypes. Basketball say Many in the Black Community is a Black Many a game. Baseball is a White Many a sport. Quot i grew up playing baseball almost exclusively a said Calvin Hill former nil running Back and currently vice president of the Baltimore orioles. A a my father loved the game. The last night of his life he was complaining about an orioles game. But now his grandson does no to know much about baseball nor does he show much interest in  Grant Hill is a second team basketball All America at guard and a key component of no. 1 Dukes drive toward a second Mcaa title. He also is an example of the migration Young Blacks have shown toward football and basketball. While Black participation in baseball has gone Down the numbers have risen in football and basketball. Blacks now make up 62.4 percent of the rosters in the nil while participation in the Aba is a whopping 75.2 percent. There Are several reasons behind the recent shift in numbers but they mostly revolve around inner City economics and the go amortization of football and basketball Over the last decade. Baseball is a fairly expensive proposition at any level but the Cost of bats balls and gloves is beyond Many lower class incomes. Cities also must provide Upkeep of baseball Fields such As mowing the grass and filling in holes in the infield. Baseball fan Kevin Johnson left sees basketball As a a much better  at the opposite extreme is Dukes Grant Hill right. Although the son of Oriole up Calvin Hill the Blue Devil a does no to know much about baseball nor docs he show much interest in  basketball on the other hand is a much More economical game. One Only needs a Ball and a hoop even without the net. Cost to the City also is minimal since once a court is Laid it needs very Little Upkeep. Quot in the inner cities there a not a lot of Fields for kids to play baseball. There Are no organized leagues a Coleman said. A in basketball one person can go out and work out by shooting baskets. In baseball you can to do  then there is the go amortization Factor. From the High school level up through College football and basketball get most of the Money and the Glitz. Football has its Crisp fall afternoons cheerleaders marching bands Homecoming Queens and paper mache banners. Basketball has its Pep bands dance squads and March madness. In baseball the pregame festivities consist of batting practice followed by both teams taking infield. It does no to exactly build to a Crescendo by the time the Umpire cries Quot play Ball a television coverage of the nil Aba and College football and basketball Only helps to Stoke the fires for those sports. A you have to give the advertising Industry a lot of credit a Black said. A they came up with those names like air Jordan. Not Only Black kids but White kids went for air Jordans. Kids think a if i put these on ill be Able to Dunk that  so they want to play basketball. You also had Walter Payton running around with the football or . Simpson. Kids see themselves on National to like  baseball also suffers from its relationship with the Mcaa. While colleges act As feeder systems for nil and Aba teams College baseball winds up competing against major league teams for the top prospects. Baseball is the Only sport that drafts kids out of High school signing the top ones and sending them to the minor leagues. The lower Talent level stifles fan interest in the College game and scholarships Are limited. The Mcaa allows Only 13 scholarships to be Given in baseball with the number dropping to 11.7 Over the next few years. Meanwhile football offers 90 scholarships and basketball 15. The choices Are Clear Cut for Black athletes a full scholarship to play a Glamour sport or a partial ride in a sport with much less exposure. A College was a Chance to get an education free so 1 bought four years a said Kevin Johnson a former athletics draft pick who is a Star guard with the Phoenix suns. A that was the main reason. I grew up with baseball being my first love but this has been a much better option for to 1 me. Baseball owners recently approved a change in draft rules that would allow a team to retain the rights to a drafted a until one year after he leaves col player lege Pilege partially in the Hope that More prospects will choose the College route. A we want More players to get their College educations Quot Coleman said. But the quest for racial Equality in College baseball is Steep. Of the top 25 teams ranked at the end of last season by baseball America Only 5.9 percent of the rosters were Black. At last years College world series there were Only 13 Black players on eight teams and no team had More than two. It was worse in 1990 a Only 6 of 176 players in the cos were Black. A a it a not a racist thing.,�?� said skip Burtman coach at National Champion Louisiana state. A a it a harder to get Blacks into College baseball because there Are fewer of them attempting to do it compared with basketball and  but baseball not Only needs to work at the Bottom in its relationship with Blacks but at the top As Well. Only two of the 26 major league teams employ Black managers and there has been Only one Black general manager in history a Atlanta a Bill Lucas in the 1970s. There was a flurry of activity soon after former dodgers general manager Al Campanis said on a night line in 1987 that Blacks Quot May not have some of the necessities for front office jobs but commissioner Fay Vincent admitted Progress was slow. A today 15 percent of the people in baseball Are represented by minorities. However we re still behind in the most visible positions of Field manager and general manager Quot he said. Quot but we re making Progress in hiring minorities As major league coaches and minor league managers and coaches. They will get experience so people can move up when vacancies become  recent statistics from major league baseball show minority employment in the front offices of the 26 clubs has risen from 2 percent in 1987 to 16 percent last year. In addition the work Force in the commissioners office is 28 percent Black. Two department Heads a Coleman and director of minor league operations Jimmy Lee Solomon a Are Black As is National league president Bill White. But there still is a Long Way to go. Among clubs the highest ranking Black executives Are Hank Aaron Atlanta a senior vice president Bob Watson Houston a assistant general manager and Elaine Weddington Bostons assistant general manager. A for As Long As Blacks have been performing in this sport you a think some of those things would have happened a Long time ago a said Aaron baseball Sall time Home run Leader. A for me to say that in a satisfied with the Way things have progressed Over the last few years would be