Major League Baseball Drafts

[Samori Toure]

I don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet, but during the last Major League Baseball Draft (June 2015); 15 out of the first 59 picks (25.4%) taken were African Americans. This is the 3rd consecutive MLB draft that has seen an increase in African Americans taken in the draft.

No one knows why African Americans are heading back into Baseball in such numbers; but it maybe due to the Urban Baseball initiative pushed by MLB or the concussion issues being bought to light in high school, college and pro football. In any event it looks like African Americans are returning to baseball in heavy numbers.


Jon HeymanVerified account‏@JonHeymanCBS
15 of the first 59 picks are African-American. that's 25.4 pct. mlb has to be encouraged by this development.



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Tate makes UYA history

"The first non-shortstop off the board was UC-Santa Barbara right-hander Dillon Tate, who was chosen No. 4 overall by the Rangers and is now the highest-drafted alumnus of MLB's Urban Youth Academy. Tate credits the Compton Academy with turning him into the pitcher he is today.

"The academy really helped me take big steps in the right direction," said Tate. "I was able to get a lot of [innings] there, develop my pitches and get ... more in the [strike] zone."

Tate was one of nine African-American players selected in the first round, along with Cornelius Randolph (10th overall, Phillies); Garrett Whitley (13th, Rays); Trent Clark (15th, Brewers); Richie Martin (20th, A's); Nick Plummer (23rd, Cardinals); D.J. Stewart (25th, Orioles); Ke'Bryan Hayes (32nd, Pirates); and Christin Stewart (34th, Tigers).

"A full quarter of the first round were African-Americans," said Commissioner Rob Manfred. "That's a great improvement for us. I think it shows that some of the things we've been working so hard on are starting to bear a little fruit, in terms of the amateur Draft. I think it's encouraging for us, and it makes us want to work even harder at the things we've been working on."

Shortstop trio atop Draft makes history

MLB making inroads to attract African Americans

 

[BigMan]

this the coli so are we sure they "African-Americans"

 

[wheywhey]

this the coli so are we sure they "African-Americans"

Dillon Tate

Cornelius Randolph

Garrett Whitley

Trent Clark (seated with mother and step-father)

Richie Martin


Nick Plummer signed a reported $2.1M bonus.


DJ Stewart

Ke'Bryan Hayes

Christin Stewart

 

[wheywhey]

No one knows why African Americans are heading back into Baseball

All they have to do is ask the black players who were drafted. A good 30 minute survey should do the job. Ask when they started playing baseball, what type of leagues, family income, athletes in family, etc.

The NFL math never made sense to me, risking brain and limb for $400K that isn't even guaranteed. Football doesn't even make sense for college scholarships since many players are limited to certain majors and the focus on athletics may lead to lower grades and fewer extracurricular activities.

 

[wheywhey]

One of Garrett Whitley's neighbors in another forum said he signed with the Devil Rays for $2.9 million. He was supposed to go to Wake Forest, but his parents, who are "highly educated", encouraged him to go pro. Except for Little League and high school baseball, he and his parents didn't put much time or money into the sport. It was only after his junior year that he started attending camps and that was at the invitation of MLB.

Years ago another athlete graduated from the same high school as Whitley and went on to play 9 or 10 seasons in the NFL, after only starting to play football in the 11th grade. His name is André Davis, played at Virginia Tech with Michael Vick. Davis did play soccer and run track before doing football.

Garrett with his family

 

[Larry Lobster]

One of Garrett Whitley's neighbors in another forum said he signed with the Devil Rays for $2.9 million. He was supposed to go to Wake Forest, but his parents, who are "highly educated", encouraged him to go pro. Except for Little League and high school baseball, he and his parents didn't put much time or money into the sport. It was only after his junior year that he started attending camps and that was at the invitation of MLB.

Years ago another athlete graduated from the same high school as Whitley and went on to play 9 or 10 seasons in the NFL, after only starting to play football in the 11th grade. His name is André Davis, played at Virginia Tech with Michael Vick. Davis did play soccer and run track before doing football.

Garrett with his family

These negroes have no shame

 

[Vilhena]

The sport that pays the most, no salary cap. Domincans getting paid 200m. nikkas need to get their priorities straight.

 

[Jaylen Tatum]

These negroes have no shame

she ugly as shyt you cant even say if she lost wait or when she was younger

 

[ridedolo]

These negroes have no shame

cotdamn embarrassment

 

[mr x]

baseball is thriving brehs

 

[Danie84]

As a casual baseball/Mets stan (thanks to mi abuelita) who used to attend my big brother

little league games in Flatbush, BK, circa late 80s; it's great to see a rise in young Black drafted MLB players

..lowkey, I'm waiting for ChiTown's JRW to get older and Snoop Dogg the Building

BLACKEXCELLNCE

 

[Samori Toure]

baseball is thriving brehs

Not it's not. Baseball is actually in a lot of trouble, because they are living off of their last major television contract. Baseball has committed the sin of losing younger viewers, which means that the next baseball contract is going to be significantly lower if baseball doesn't do something to bring younger viewers back. People aren't even watching the World series anymore.

Fixing Baseball's Old-People Problem With Merchandise, Highlights - Businessweek
Baseball’s Biggest Problem: It’s Not Steroids
http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/world-series-no-longer-rates-national-tv-attraction

MLB has studied this trend for a long time and they concluded that young viewers weren't watching MLB games, but young viewers were watching NFL and college football and the NBA and college basketball. MLB drew one conclusion; they need African Americans to come back to baseball. That is the reason behind the inner city baseball initiatives; Jackson Robinson games and so forth.

Baseball has even attempted to market their players like the NBA markets there players. Haven't you noticed the Adam Jones commercials?
MLB.com At Bat TV Commercial, 'Not Playing Baseball' Featuring Adam Jones

My theory is that MLB scouts are very happy to see that the concussion issues in the NFL have been made public. I think that scouts are telling a lot of the high school football players that risk less major injuries in baseball and that they can have a longer career. I bet a lot of those kids were not listening until this stuff came out. People seem to forget that some of the best baseball players in the history of MLB were actually African American that played football.

ASU Football Recruit, Reggie Jackson, Homers on First Pitch of ASU Baseball Try-Outs

 

[Samori Toure]

The sport that pays the most, no salary cap. Domincans getting paid 200m. nikkas need to get their priorities straight.

The craziest part is that Dominicans haven't even been that good in comparison to African Americans. African Americans used to just flat out dominate baseball. Hell there were 5 tool players all over the league; and there were guys hitting for average and power and they could steal bases; not to mention the fact that many won gold gloves.

I read a book a few years ago that stated that within 30 years of being readmitted in Major league baseball (1947-1977); that African American owned many of the major records. It took over 100 years build the records, but African Americans owned many of them in less than 30 years and the many younger African Americans just stopped playing the game altogether. I call that the Michael Jordan syndrome; because every kid wanted to go and play basketball and football after Jordan broke onto the scene.

 

[Vilhena]

The craziest part is that Dominicans haven't even been that good in comparison to African Americans. African Americans used to just flat out dominate baseball. Hell there were 5 tool players all over the league; and there were guys hitting for average and power and they could steal bases; not to mention the fact that many won gold gloves.

I read a book a few years ago that stated that within 30 years of being readmitted in Major league baseball (1947-1977); that African American owned many of the major records. It took over 100 years build the records, but African Americans owned many of them in less than 30 years and the many younger African Americans just stopped playing the game altogether. I call that the Michael Jordan syndrome; because every kid wanted to go and play basketball and football after Jordan broke onto the scene.

I was just comparing the two in a sense that Domincans don't have the facilities like the USA does yet they are currently dominating the MLB. Playing with a stick and a bottle cap actual does help them eye coordination.

Right now the MLB lacks two things. Speed and Power, something African-Americans can easily contribute if they give baseball a chance.

 

[NERO]

I am not a baseball fan but if you can actually play Baseball pays the most with the least damage to you physically. 192 games sucks but at least you're not destroying your knees like Basketball or getting your brains bashed in like Football. Soccer is coming too and in 20 years the money will be like NFL money at least in our domestic leagues fukk looking cool or being black enough. It's all about the benjamins.