The Braves fired manager Fredi Gonzalez on Tuesday, and there are now "no individuals of Hispanic descent managing in the major leagues," which is a "peculiar and jarring fact considering Latino players made up 28.5% of the league" on Opening Day, according to Daniel Popper of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. There are now "only two minority managers in all of baseball -- the Nationals’ Dusty Baker and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, two African-Americans who were hired before this season." But it "should be noted that many Hispanics are part of MLB staffs as coaches" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/19). ESPN.com's Marly Rivera noted the "shortage of managers of color in MLB has been a growing concern in recent years." Gonzalez, Baker and Roberts were the only minority managers on Opening Day this year, seven "fewer than the high point of 10 minority managers" in '02 and '09. Gonzalez "always said there were many Latino candidates who should get an opportunity to manage." That "goes beyond having a single interview to comply with the 'Selig Rule,' equivalent to the NFL's 'Rooney Rule.'" Indians 1B coach Sandy Alomar Jr. "is one Hispanic coach who many around the majors believe should have already received an opportunity to manage." He said, "You can’t be disappointed about things that you have no control over. All we can do is keep getting ready, keep knocking on doors" (ESPN.com, 5/18).
TIME TO REASSESS? In DC, Kevin Blackistone wonders how MLB can "look itself in the mirror in 2016 with Gonzalez having been the lone Latin manager in a game where more than a quarter of the players are of Spanish-speaking origin?" How "preposterous are such optics in a game where the biggest story this week, and just about any week, includes Latino stars?" Blackistone notes 16 Latin-born players made the All-Star Game last season, which is "six more Latinos than have become managers in the 100-plus-year history of the major leagues" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/19). ESPN's Adnan Virk: "It's insane when 30% of the players are Latin and there are zero managers. Clearly that has to change at some point." He acknowledged there often are "whispers about, ‘Well the intelligence level, we don’t know about the educational level.’" Virk: "There are plenty of managers in baseball who never went to anything beyond high school and have been very successful so that doesn't hold a lot of water with the Latin players” ("Baseball Tonight," ESPN2, 5/19).
POINT TO PONDER: ESPN's Alex Cora, who has been identified as a potential future managerial candidate, brought up the Selig Rule and said MLB needs to "throw it away." Cora: "Don't make organizations interview minorities because you have to. They are going to make a decision. If you're capable to manage a big league club or to run an organization, they will interview you because you're capable and not because you're Latino. ... It doesn't matter if you're white, African-American or Latino -- if you can manage, you can manage. They’re going to give you a shot. But with the Selig Rule, I don’t think it’s fair for anybody in this business to get an interview because of this” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN2, 5/19).
