Lack of African Americans Playing Baseball is a Problem

"There aren't very many African-American players, and it's not just in here, it's everywhere. It's not just a problem -- it's a crisis."

This quote came from C.C. Sabathia, starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia does have reason to come up with such a quote. He is, after all, the only player on the 25-man roster in Cleveland. The truth is that there should be more African-Americans playing in the Major Leagues.

The problem is nobody seems to have any ideas on what to do about the situation. Sabathia himself had no answers but continued to voice his frustration with the problem. "I go back home to Vallejo (Sabathia's off season home) and the kids say, 'What's baseball?' It's not just an issue for my hometown, it's an issue for the whole country. I think Major League Baseball should do something about it. I don't know exactly what they could be doing, but I know it's not enough."

The AP story in which Sabathia was quoted gave several reasons why so few African-Americans are playing professional baseball at the moment. For starters, baseball is expensive in comparison to other sports. Baseball bats get more expensive every year. Add that along with purchasing a glove, uniforms, and the necessary equipment needed for catchers and baseball becomes a pricey sport.

Another reason cited by the AP for the lack of African-Americans playing baseball in the U.S. deals with the fact that current role models in sports aren't playing baseball. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Terrell Owens are all playing something other than baseball. Kids see these talented athletes and naturally want to mimic them.

Major League Baseball has implemented methods in order to develop baseball in urban areas. Sabathia is working with other prominent black baseball players to help the cause. Is there anything that can be done to increase the number of African-Americans playing baseball?