Selig Lauded For His Progress In Advancement Of Minorities

Report Credits Selig With Making Progress In Minority Hiring

Dr. Richard Lapchick of the Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport at the Univ. of Central Florida has released his MLB Racial & Gender Report Card, which found that three people of color and 16 women had minority share holdings of MLB teams, the smallest number of people of color among MLB, the NBA and the NFL and second most for women. Twenty-nine percent of MLB’s central office employees were people of color, a close second to the NBA’s 30%, while 25% of central office employees at the senior exec level were people of color. Women occupied 22.5% of the senior level positions. At the team level, 11% of VPs were people of color and 14% were women. MLB had the most Latino and Asian VPs in the pro sports covered in the report. MLB had two GM’s who are people of color — the fewest among the big three leagues. Among men’s leagues, MLB had the best record for people of color and the worst for women in the rank of senior administrators. The 9% total of African-American players was the lowest percentage since the report was first published in the mid-80s. In addition, 26% of players were Latino and 2% were Asian (Univ. of Central Florida).

END RESULT? In Philadelphia, Claire Smith notes the report credited MLB Commissioner Bud Selig “for overseeing ‘significant progress’ in hiring and historic strides in ownership by minorities and women” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/7). In Baltimore, Dan Connolly reports for the first time “in four-plus decades, the Orioles’ Opening Day roster had no black players from the [U.S.].” Nationals manager Frank Robinson: “Latinos, opposed to African-Americans, are just the opposite now (in terms of numbers) than it was, say, 10 years ago. I don’t think that’s good, but what are you going to do?” (Baltimore SUN, 4/7).