Jackie Robinson

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WILL CELEBRATE THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF JACKIE ROBINSON'S FIRST GAME WITH THE BROOKLYN DODGERS ---- THE GAME THAT BROKE THE SO-CALLED COLOUR LINE. KEN GRIFFEY JUNIOR GOT PERMISSION TO HONOUR THE DAY BY WEARING ROBINSON'S RETIRED #42. 6 OTHER TEAMS WILL OUTFIT EVERY PLAYER ON THE ROSTER WITH #42 WHICH SEEMS TO ME TO BE EXCESSIVE TO THE POINT OF BURLESQUE.

AND WHERE HAS BASEBALL COME IN THE 60 YEARS SINCE JACKIE ROBINSON CAME INTO THE GAME. WE HAVE AFRICAN AMERICAN FIELD MANAGERS IN THE GAME, ---TWO OF THEM. GENERAL MANAGERS IN THE MAJORS? ONE. NUMBER OF TEAMS IN THE MAJORS WITH MORE THAN 4 AFRICAN AMERICANS ON THE ROSTER. ONE.
TOMORROW THE EVERY MEMBER OF THE DODGERS IS GOING TO WEAR NUMBER 42 TO HONOUR JACKIE. IN THE STARTING LINEUP THERE WILL LIKELY BE ONE AFRO AMERICAN---JUAN PIERRE.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT'S PROGRESS.
HERE'S SOME MORE PROGRESS...IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN BASEBALL HAS DROPPED 50 PERCENT. TODAY ONLY 8 PERCENT OF THE MAJOR LEAGUES HAVE BLACK PARTICIPATION. IN THE 1970'S IT WAS 30 PERCENT. I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE SOCIOLOGISTS TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. BUT GO TO A MAJOR LEAGUE BALLPARK THESE DAYS AND COUNT THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS SITTING IN THE SEATS. IF YOU GO BEYOND ONE PERCENT YOU MAY BE RISKING INFLATION.

YES, TOMORROW MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO JACKIE ROBINSON'S FIRST GAME. FROM ABOVE JACKIE MIGHT BE SAYING "HOW COULD YOU HAVE SCREWED THINGS UP THIS BADLY."