The 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut
This weekend, with Opening Day fast approaching, Major League Baseball will begin its celebration of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier with an exhibition game in Memphis they've dubbed the "Civil Rights Game." (Robinson actually debuted on April 15, 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.) In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, columnist Terence Moore cogently writes about the hypocrisy of the moment, considering that the number of African-American players, managers and front-office executives in the Majors is dwindling – and fast. (According to Moore, black players make up less than ten percent of the Majors.) Moore also interviewed former L.A. Dodgers outfielder Tommy Davis, who notes that baseball has ignored the rich talent base in the States: “I’m not putting the Latins down, because they can play, but baseball has purposely built a bunch of camps and academies in other countries, and they’ve ignored areas in this country where you have African-American talent,” Davis said.