What happened to MLB after Jackie Robinson signed

Researching my article about the Cardinals’ controversial history and their racial attitudes just prior to the signing of Jackie Robinson, it gave me a lot to think about. Although that article focused on the past, it led to me to examine MLB’s current and future commitment to equality.

Jackie Robinson played in his first game on April 15, 1947, and the percentage of African American players rose from zero in 1946 to a high of 18.3 percent in 1985. In 1985, the percentage of African Americans in the USA was 11.7%. That year, the NL MVP was Willie McGee, the NL Cy Young was Dwight Gooden, and the Rookie of the Year was Vince Coleman. In 1985 there were 11 African American All Stars. 

In 2023, the African American population in the US grew to  14.4 percent, but the percentage in MLB had shrunk to 6.2%. Only seven made the All-Star game that year. 

Baseball had a steady increase in African Americans entering the ranks from 1947 on. In the beginning, there was an influx of talent from the Negro Leagues. The first African American player to not play in the Negro Leagues wasn’t signed until 1956 by the Cincinnati Reds. That was Curt Flood. You may have heard of him. 

The star power was prodigious. Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Bob Gibson were some of the biggest stars of the 60s. The 70s were Willie Stargell, Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, and Dave Parker. 

And then the '80s came. 

The decade started with a strike in 1981, wiping out 50 days. 

In 1985, two low-level drug dealers faced trial in federal court. What made this court case unique were the witnesses. Two former Cardinals, Lonnie Smith, and Keith Hernandez, along with several other MLB stars such as Tim Raines, Dave Parker, Jeffrey Leonard, and several others, were called to testify in what became known as the Pittsburgh Drug Trial. During that trial, they all admitted to taking cocaine. Keith Hernandez said that 40 percent of all MLB players were using cocaine and other drugs. 11 players ended up suspended. 

The Dowd Report came out and alleged that Pete Rose had bet a minimum of 10 thousand dollars a day on 52 Cincinnati Reds games. 

Everyone in St. Louis knows about the Don Denkinger call during the 1985 World Series, and even though Denkinger was one of the best to ever to wear the mask behind home plate, fans challenged the quality of MLB umpires.

The boring cookie-cutter stadiums became prevalent, along with Astroturf. With a faster surface, speed became more important to winning games. The Cardinals made it to the World Series playing Whiteyball, building their team on speed and defense. Ozzie Smith and Kirby Puckett were the standout players because of the game’s dramatic shift in style. They were great HOF players but not as captivating as the larger-than-life players like Mays, Aaron, and Gibson.

In 1987, an arbitrator, Thomas Roberts, ruled that the owners had a blatant policy of collusion against pursuing and paying free agents. That cost MLB 280 million dollars.

Also, in 1987, Al Campanis, the Dodgers’ GM, went on Nightline with Ted Koppel. When asked about the lack of African American managers or executives, he said, “I truly believe that they may not have some of the necessities to be, let’s say, a field manager or perhaps a general manager.”

All of those things had a part in the public being less invested in baseball and the interest diminished. 

For years, MLB struggled to get the fans back. Not until Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had their magical year at the end of the following decade in did fans have a reason to return to the game. 

Well, some fans came back. 

While baseball fans were losing interest in the game, the sporting landscape was changing.

The NFL was changing. In the '90s, we got to see more black quarterbacks, like Vince Evans, Doug Williams, Warren Moon, and Randall Cunningham. Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, and Michael Irvin were making the game more exciting. More African Americans than ever were being drafted into the league. In the late '80s and early '90s, African Americans like Bo Jackson, Earl Campbell, Andre Ware, and Charlie Ward were winning Heisman Trophies. 

In the '80s and '90s, the NBA’s popularity exploded. The Magic Johnson and Larry Bird rivalry was epic. And then Michael Jordan joined in the fun. Everyone wanted to be like Mike. The NBA loosened up on the dress code. Baggy shorts, bolder colors, hip-hop over the speakers, and Air Jordans were becoming just as much a part of the game as they were on the street. The NBA’s emerging culture resonated with African American sports fans, becoming a refuge for those who had grown disillusioned with baseball. 

Baseball is the one sport that has always hung on to tradition more than the others. Just this year, the Yankees are allowing their players to have beards. It took 49 years for the NL to adopt the designated hitter rule. While other leagues are promoting the individual players, the MLB is fine with some teams still not having names on the back of the jersey. 

MLB was also remarkably slow to recognize the developing movements in the black community. In 2012, Lebron James and Dwyane Wade wore hoodies to protest the death of Trayvon Martin. The NBA gave their players freedom to protest. In 2016, Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem. Soon after, several NFL players joined in. Where was baseball? In 2017, Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland As took a knee during the anthem at an MLB game. Three years passed before another MLB player joined in the protest.

Adding to the perception that MLB has a problem, soon after George Floyd’s death, the NFL issued a comment on 5/30/2020. The next day, the NBA issued theirs. It took MLB until June 3rd to release theirs. 

Even the National Library of Medicine has jumped in and published "Reflections on African Americans in Baseball: No Longer the Vanguard of Change.” In that article, they conclude, among other things, “Baseball regularly salutes the Negro Leagues as a marketing ploy.” 

It's easy to understand why after the excitement of Jackie Robinson, there has become a great lack of interest among the African American community.

While we celebrate the historic achievement of Jackie Robinson on April 15th, it is also relevant to understand the current state of MLB. Its relationship with the African American community is not where they want it to be. The next part of this series will consider the programs they have in place and try to determine if there is a pathway to rebuild what they have lost.