Baseball diversity

[mccamy03 0]

I was watching "Baseball: America's Pastime" on tv lastnight and they were talking about Jackie Robinson and the integration of Major League Baseball. This got me thinking...I don't remember seeing any players on AU Baseball team that aren't white. I just checked the roster on Auburntigers.com...they are all white! Does anybody have any input on why we have such a lack of diversity on our team?

[augolf1716 21,205]

I was watching "Baseball: America's Pastime" on tv lastnight and they were talking about Jackie Robinson and the integration of Major League Baseball. This got me thinking...I don't remember seeing any players on AU Baseball team that aren't white. I just checked the roster on Auburntigers.com...they are all white! Does anybody have any input on why we have such a lack of diversity on our team?

It's pretty much that way in all of baseball. From the colleges all the way up to the majors. Its a long discussion as to why it has happen.

[auclong 1]

I was watching "Baseball: America's Pastime" on tv lastnight and they were talking about Jackie Robinson and the integration of Major League Baseball. This got me thinking...I don't remember seeing any players on AU Baseball team that aren't white. I just checked the roster on Auburntigers.com...they are all white! Does anybody have any input on why we have such a lack of diversity on our team?

Auburn has had some black players in the past but not in a few years. One of the main reasons that you see fewer black or minority players in college baseball is how the number of schollies are divided up. You have 27 players and only 11 schollies to split. Historically speaking; more of the minority players came from more disadvantaged households and didn`t have the advantage of more income at home to help out with expenses. Therefore more players that were drafted out of highschool signed pro contracts. You might also see more minority players in states that have scholarship help such as lottery money for instate students. This can be used to supplement the 11 schollies so the money gets divided up less. Ga. and Florida are two states that come to mind. Both of those states have higher %`s of instate ballplayers than the other teams in the SEC. They can use their lottery schollie money on instate players and save perhaps a whole athletic schollie for an out of state player. I`m sorry for the long answer but it`s a crazy way they have to do things. Teams like AU and even UA are at a somewhat similar disadvantage over some others.

[mccamy03 0]

Thanks for the input guys! I just thought it was kinda strange given how racially diverse AU is as a whole. War Eagle!

[AuburnEngineer 0]

Also it may have a little to do with the fact that a higher number of non white athletes choose other sports to play when their young (basketball, football, soccer)

[auclong 1]

Also it may have a little to do with the fact that a higher number of non white atheletes choose other sports to play when their young (basketball, football, soccer)

I`m sure that has some input also. You see fewer minorities playing baseball in youth leagues also in some cities that coincides with your point.

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

Ya'll don't remember one of my favorite Auburn baseball players of all time, Bruce Edwards?  'Graduated in '07.

[auclong 1]

Ya'll don't remember one of my favorite Auburn baseball players of all time, Bruce Edwards?  'Graduated in '07.

Remember well. He was a good ballplayer for us. We need more players with his speed. Frank Sanders also played but of course he started as a football player. The Jacobs kid a couple of years back was going to play both football and baseball before signing a pro contract.

[augolf1716 21,205]

There is a lot of pressure on Jason Heyward, Braves, to succeed. Showing that young African Americans can be successful in baseball.

[AU44 0]

Javon Moran and Sean Gamble were two of my favorites...hands down.

[auclong 1]

Javon Moran and Sean Gamble were two of my favorites...hands down.

Agreed; again the kind of talent we could use.