Antonio Evans 'What Baseball Taught Me About Diversity'

When looking back at some of the baseball greats, Jackie went through the toughest journeys to the majors. What impressed people the most about Robinson was his inner drive. In the mid 1940’s, when teams looked for new players, they looked for players with high physical ability and high caliber intangibles, but when Frank Rickey looked at Robinson, he looked for patience and competitiveness. When Robinson stepped on the field for the first time as a Brooklyn Dodger, he didn’t just bring his skills and competitive drive, he brought the entire pride of the African American community. As Robinson played his first years as a Dodger, he opened up the door for other talented African Americans such as, who were eager to bring their game to the big leagues as well.

Listening to the radio, I learned a home run followed the path of memories. I learned that home plate was the heart of the ball field and the farm house was the heart of the farm. I learned if you worked hard enough, nothing was unhittable not even Brown’s curveball. As long as you kept alert like a fox, you could survive the curves that the elements threw. I looked at Dzeidek with admiration because I knew he came to this country and put down roots as gnarled and swollen as his

Over 60 years ago, America began the greatest shift in its society: the Civil Rights Movement. Before this movement began, Jim Crow laws were still in effect segregating blacks in certain schools, bathrooms, and even public buses (History.com). Over time, many in the black communities grew frustrated with the Jim Crow laws, because of their effectiveness in limiting an African American’s pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With the new emphasis on equality a new athlete was ready to make American history, and it would come on the baseball field. Jackie Robinson, Hall of Fame MLB player, become the first African-American to every play on a Major League Baseball team.

Perhaps the most famous accomplishment of Jackie Robinson’s life was his baseball career. During the first half of the 20th century, segregation was a common aspect of American life. African Americans would be separated from white Americans in nearly all elements of life, including sports. Likewise, it was standard for there

America’s favorite pastime since the early 1800s has been baseball. Ever since Alexander Cartwright of the New York Knickerbockers set the rules for the sport, many amateur baseball teams arose (Zeiler, p. 4). This sport was primarily dominated by the white race, but many African Americans enjoyed the sport as well. One of which was Jackie Robinson. After being honorably discharged from the United States Army, Robinson started playing for the Kansas City Monarchs baseball club before he transitioned into white baseball.

Jackie Robinson was an American baseball player who is best known for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB). However, Robinson was not just a trailblazing athlete; he was also a civil rights activist who used his platform to fight for racial equality in America. This paper will explore how Robinson used his position as a prominent athlete to advance the cause of civil rights and how he remains an inspiration for activists today. Born in Georgia in 1919, Robinson grew up in a world that was deeply divided along racial lines.

After the Miami Marlins fired Ozzie Guillen, MLB has just four non-white managers in its ranks. While there is a higher percentage of white players in MLB and certainly fewer black players in baseball than the NFL the number of Hispanic and Latino players would lead one to believe that MLB teams would find cultural diversity an asset in a manager. As the game gets more global, that diversity has yet to fully resonate within the managerial ranks. The mission statement on the Minor League “To promote the game of baseball while providing affordable, fun, family-entertainment to all members of the diverse communities we serve. We achieve this by fostering an inclusive environment that provides ownership, investment, management, employment, business-to-business and fan participation opportunities that are enhanced and supported by grass roots initiatives focused on education, citizenship and leadership among our youth”.

I also learned from your presentation that the starting up of The Negro Baseball League was extremely difficult and they went a long way to get to the point they were at right before the major league blended all skin colors together.

In the constitution of one early baseball club, it was stated that it would be the club’s objective to “advance morally, socially, and physically, the interests of its members” (Goldstein, 17). Victorians, however, worried that baseball would take away from work. The baseball fraternity insisted that baseball was compatible with Victorian values, as it encouraged self-control. The best ball clubs were said to be very disciplined and well trained (Goldstein, 22). Baseball required cooperation between teammates and success and depended on familiarity with the playing styles of teammates (Goldstein, 22).

According to Jonathan Mahler, "These include the millions of boys and girls who join thousands of youth, scholastic, collegiate and American Legion baseball teams, along with the men and women who play baseball and softball in industrial and semiprofessional urban and rural leagues, and the continuing interest in the history and cultural meaning of baseball, as measured by the sale of baseball books, the popularity of baseball films like “The

The reason for having the Negro Leagues was because it very unlikely to have a colored person be on the same field as a white person. However, one man who stands alone Jackie Robinson’s defeat to break the color barrier in baseball with the help of Branch

Throughout his baseball career, Jackie Robinson combated and disarmed antagonists of all kinds with an unflappable demeanor and preternatural inner resolve. My favorite example of his delicate balance between outward poise and inner tenaciousness lies in his encounters with Phillies manager Ben Chapman, who resorted to using malicious racial epithets and instructing his pitchers to purposely throw harmful balls at Jackie Robinson. In a game against Chapman’s team in 1947, Robinson responded by scoring the sole run in the Dodgers’ 1-0 victory. For Robinson, vindication came in the form of tangible results. His resolve and success in the face of contempt, bigotry, and harassment serves as an eternal example for students like myself who seek to

At the age of 5, I aspired to either become a professional athlete or an ESPN anchor. Ever since I could remember, I would kick a soccer ball around, dribble a basketball, or throw a baseball around with friends and family. I used to be the league champion and MVP of the team every season, but as time progressed, other competitors would rocket past in height and become the best players because of their size advantage. Although other young athletes became stronger and taller than me, it did not change the passion and commitment I had for sports.

A significant argument brought up by Mr. Klein is that although the MLB is incorporated in Dominican baseball, Dominican ball players have surfaced on all kinds of professional stages serving as an indication that maybe it’s the work ethic and character traits of these ball players that has allowed them to reach the success that they have. In doing so, Klein gives a voice to the unheard individuals that have done everything in their power to provide for their families through Dominican-U.S. product chain.

Race has become such a dominating aspect in society. The “All Lives Matter” Movements have brought to spotlight of the injustices of minorities and the division of our nation due to race. Even though companies today are promoting diversity and the transracial ideal by endorsing biracial athletes like Derek Jeter, racial undertones can be felt through the media coverage and advertisements we see every day. Therefore, the transracial ideal embodied by Derek Jeter is not attainable because race has become a defining characteristic through media exploitation and racial framing of minorities, as shown by Barry Bonds and the portrayal of Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger cases. Derek Jeter is a biracial baseball player for the New York Yankees.