Gordon was one of the players at the forefront of the alliance's formation during the hiatusGETTY IMAGES
Mariners 2B Dee Gordon "has ideas on how to increase Black participation at the grassroots level" of baseball, which he sees as a "vital goal of The Players Alliance," according to Larry Stone of the SEATTLE TIMES. The Players Alliance, a newly formed group of more than 100 current and former Black baseball players, "have come together to, in their words, 'use our collective voice and platform to create increased opportunity for the Black community in every aspect of our game and beyond.'" Gordon and Tigers LF Cameron Maybin were "at the forefront of the group's formation during baseball's long hiatus." Gordon said that the trepidation among players "comes from the fact that none had attempted what they are doing now," but the "declining number of Black players in baseball and the challenges they face, including discrimination at every level, convinced him and others that they should formally bond together to bring the issues to light, and forge solutions." Last year, there were 68 Black players out of 882 in MLB, which is 7.7%. This year, with expanded rosters, the numbers "ticked up slightly to 80, or 7.8%." One of The Players Alliance initiatives is Gear for Good, a "player-led equipment drive to increase access to baseball in communities where it is not prevalent" (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/19).
