Baseball Desperately Needs Another Griffey

I just saw where Seattle hired Ken Griffey Jr to be a part of the organization much like Nolan Ryan signed a contract with the Rangers after retirement.  I'm sure it's more of a public services contract where he's involved in the Seattle community and will work with their players in their organization.  My ballcap's off to Seattle.  They recognize the importance of not only one of the greatest players of all-time, but also the desperate need and impact he plays on African-American ballplayers in this country.  Sadly, there's not many black ballplayers left in baseball.  Less than 10% of all Major League Rosters make up of African-Americans. After all that was done 64 years ago when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and gave hope to all young black athletes that they would be able to compete just like anyone else, the popularity of the game has diminished in the black communities (and white communities for that matter).

Baseball is not an easy game to play on an impromptu basis like the other sports.  There are a lot of empty lots and fields in most urban areas of the U.S. with high black populations. If you have a group of friends and a football, game on.  Same with a park, with a hoop. You have a few friends and a basketball, game on.  Baseball, however, requires gloves, bats, and balls to be played properly—with enough players to cover at least half a field. It's not as easy to put together a baseball game.

But the serious blow to the black baseball player has been America's change itself.  No longer are Americans able to take a 2 and 1/2 hour train ride through the Rockies and be captivated by it's beauty and simple relaxation that it brings.  Americans would rather be taken on a 2 and 1/2 minute thrill ride at a theme park and be on their merry way.  

Sports such as football and basketball have marched ahead of baseball in popularity in today's America.  In today's society, we have to be entertained with immediacy.  Our bloodthirsty appetite must be fed by either football, hockey or even wrestling.  And our minds have to have many points scored in order for us to feel satisfied that our money and time were well spent.  Sadly, 3-1 is just not acceptable to most Americans.

Television changed it all.  Before television, baseball was king.  Baseball was perfect for radio and newspaper with it's statistics beaming from boxscores.  The edge-of-your-seat thrill one would get with the anticipation of a radio broadcaster that one can only get when his or her imagination has to work for itself instead of seeing it with their own eyes through a tube.  

Some have said that the 1958 NFL Championship Game of the Baltimore Colts  vs the New York Giants signaled the beginning of football dominance through television.  Football is MUCH more entertaining on TV than baseball with its scoring and constant movement.  TV and football is the perfect combination and its no wonder why the NFL is the most popular and will remain that way until TVs go away.  

Basketball, however, is the lethal weapon to the black baseball player.  Thanks to Michael Jordan, a lot of what would have been today's greatest baseball players never even picked up a glove long enough to see.  They immediately latched on to "His Airness".  Michael Jordan is the black Babe Ruth.  There is no disputing that.  He has done so much for his sport and helped pave the way for many athletes to live out their dreams.  But he helped put baseball on the ropes with a bloody lip and a concussion (there's a bloodthirsty analogy for you that seek that stuff).  

I long for the great black baseball player.  My hope is that the black Babe Ruth of baseball is on his way.  Barry Bonds would have been that, but that's not going to workout so well.  Had Ken Griffey Jr. not come along at the same time as Michael Jordan, maybe things would be different.  I got news last week that Ken Griffey Jr's son Ken Griffey III (Trey) was visiting Texas A&M about being a wide receiver.  I have to admit, it felt like a kick to the stomach.

But right now, maybe, just maybe somewhere in the streets of Chicago, or Detroit, or Sheman, TX there is a little boy who is going to be the next Jackie Robinson or Ernie Banks or Bob Gibson or Hank Aaron or Willie Mays or Ken Griffey Jr.