Chris Rock’s Take on Blacks in Baseball: Real Sports

[NrM]

 

 

[Tyler]

[Adam]

[Hollyw00d]

Haha that was good. "What the **** is a met?"

He's kinda right too

[Kenny]

I appreciate what he's saying, and I love his comedy, but saying baseball fans being mostly white is like a tea party rally is dumb. Tell that to the republican hotbed where none of the players are black known as San Francisco. Leave political partisanship out of the conversation.

[Mark68]

I appreciate what he's saying, and I love his comedy, but saying baseball fans being mostly white is like a tea party rally is dumb. Tell that to the republican hotbed where none of the players are black known as San Francisco. Leave political partisanship out of the conversation.

He wasn't talking political partisanship. He was talking about demographics.

[Tyler]

Today I learned being cool and hip is to be black.

[bloodbrother]

Remember when the Angels had black players?

 

 

 

Now they have none. I rest my case

[TobiasFunke]

He's not onto something at all

[Tank]

5 out of 6 tv viewers are white, and the average age of viewers is 53.

 

if he's right, that's kind of scary.

[Mark68]

I honestly didn't know that the amount of black players in MLB was down to 8%.

 

That surprised me, but when I look at the rosters of most of the teams, I realize that it shouldn't have.

[Kenny]

He wasn't talking political partisanship. He was talking about demographics.

Yeah, for the most part, but he still had to make it both seem like if you're white, you're a right wing nut job, and that white people are the reason black people don't like baseball. The less black people in baseball does mean more of other races, it doesn't mean white people pushed them out.

[Inside Pitch]

He wasn't talking political partisanship. He was talking about demographics.

 

Apparently he believes that 13.2% of the population are the go to source for whats cool, hip, and entertaining.  I wonder if Michael Jordan went back to basketball instead of sticking with baseball because he found the sport wasn't cool or hip enough.

 

I know what Torii Hunter thinks but, are black Latinos no longer black?  Last time I checked the US Census only identifies 5 races, and Hispanic/Latino isn't a race.  According to MLB, 28% of the players on opening day rosters last year were foreign born... does anyone here really believe that only 8% of those players are black?  

 

The only thing wrong with baseball is that it's a skill driven game and still requires the biggest investment of time to really make it big or cash in.  

Edited April 23, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[Angelsfirst]

His daughter is right. Kevin Hart is funnier.

[Ohtaniland]

Howie and Torii say hi.'

[Bobster7587]

Remember when the Angels had black players?

 

 

 

Now they have none. I rest my case

 

Impostors!!!

[AngelsandDodgersFan]

I agree with him outside of the political jab.When I first started to watch baseball, you had Reggie, Dave Parker, Rod Carew and a bunch others. The problem is that Football and Basketball is easier to get the money right away. College baseball doesnt make as much money as football or basketball or get as much of the spotlight. MLB needs to work on this rather then try to interview managers and other players during games. Whats next blond bimbo dugout reporters???

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Baseball is becoming an increasingly Hispanic (and to a lesser degree, Asian) game. Basketball and football are flashier and faster, and they appeal more to young kids raised on video games, and not just black kids. I don't know what baseball does to combat this, but they need to.

[Inside Pitch]

I agree with him outside of the political jab.When I first started to watch baseball, you had Reggie, Dave Parker, Rod Carew and a bunch others. The problem is that Football and Basketball is easier to get the money right away. College baseball doesnt make as much money as football or basketball or get as much of the spotlight. MLB needs to work on this rather then try to interview managers and other players during games. Whats next blond bimbo dugout reporters???

 

Two of the three players you mentioned would be considered imposters.  Reginald Martinez Jackson was born to a Puerto Rican woman and a half Puerto Rican man, and Rod Carew was Panamanian.   Using Torii Hunter's logic, 67% of your examples were not black.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[Puget Sound Angel]

I think one reason that baseball is not popular with young people is that you have a generation of kids now who could not stay up late to watch prime time World Series games on the East Coast. When you remove your crown jewel event from your demographic of the future, you reap what you sow.

[Inside Pitch]

And so once again, black people themselves are not responsible for anything.

And because Koreans flip bats, white people are at fault for bean balls in MLB.

Got it Rock. Danke.

 

 

In the closing segment of the actual show Gumble pointed out a pretty significant fact.  He goes into detail about how baseball is said to be passed along from father to son and then mentions guys like Griffey Jr and Bonds, guys whose fathers were actively in their lives and it pointed out how more than 50% of blacks grow up without a father in the household.  Chris Rock's father was an active part of his life, as was his paternal grandfather, so maybe there is more of a connection there than some might want to admit.

[nikkachez]

Damn, I think he's right. I honestly think he hit a lot of nails on the head. I'm 20 and there just isn't a large amount of baseball fans in my generation. Baseball's antiquated; and I think they know it. You're seeing all these programs attempting to get black children into baseball again, baseball's making a conscious effort because they know what's going on. Definitely agree about it not being entirely about the money either, Cuba and plenty of other third-world countries produce uber-talented players.

 

That was kind of depressing, but a good amount of news and it offers a new perspective. Baseball needs to take steps into the future, it's stuck in the past.  

[Jim]

I think one reason that baseball is not popular with young people is that you have a generation of kids now who could not stay up late to watch prime time World Series games on the East Coast. When you remove your crown jewel event from your demographic of the future, you reap what you sow.

I don't think so. I believe those same kids are still up, but they're playing video games instead. Also, like someone said earlier, baseball is not as glamorous a sport when it comes to the get rich quick mentality. And who drives that thought early on in a child's development, the parents of course.

 

There are many reasons why american black participation in baseball is waning. One possible reason might be their accessibility to the sport, at least in So Cal. After age 13, the available options to play ball decrease considerably. Unless you are a parent willing to go to great lengths both financially, and with your time, sanctioned baseball isn't all that readily available. High school baseball is far more likely to man their teams with kids from travel ball teams. If kids don't play in high school, they certainly won't be drafted, or stand much of a chance to play in college ball.    

[halobob]

5 out of 6 tv viewers are white, and the average age of viewers is 53.

 

if he's right, that's kind of scary.

This is extremely scary.  Teams are too focused on maximizing ticket revenue right now and it's going to cost them in the long term.  When I was in high school my buddies and I would go to a ton of Angels games because you could get children tix in the left field pavilion for $5 and they even had the Tuesday kids ticket deal for $3 uppers one year.  There is no way my friends and I would've paid the prices they are charging these days to go to games since in high school money is tough to come by and I can only assume current high school kids feel the same way.  They need to go back to the old theory of cheap seats to fill the ball park on a nightly basis rather than maximizing ticket revenue (not just the Angels, all teams).  

[Tank]

I think one reason that baseball is not popular with young people is that you have a generation of kids now who could not stay up late to watch prime time World Series games on the East Coast. When you remove your crown jewel event from your demographic of the future, you reap what you sow.

 

i've felt this way for years. it's silly to wait until 8:30 (or later) to start a world series game.

 

look at how popular baseball was when all the world series games were day games.