Wow…just fucking wow. I am at loss for words on this shit
Members of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow-PUSH Coalition asked for a meeting with Braves team officials to get more African Americans on the team. Here is the link [AJC Registration required] and for those who don’t wish to register
Here is the whole damn sharticle:
Upset over the lack of African-Americans on the Braves roster, members of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow-PUSH Coalition asked for a meeting with team officials. They got one Monday.
Joe Beasley, Southern Regional Director for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said he and Dexter Clinkscale, the director of sports for the organization, met Monday morning for nearly two hours with Braves general manager John Schuerholz, assistant general manager Frank Wren and three other Braves officials.
“The team slipped … down to [no African-Americans]; it wasn?t something that just happened,” Beasley said Monday afternoon. “I think it was a lack of diligence on the part of the Braves to recruit African-American players. There’s not diminished enthusiasm for African-Americans playing baseball. It’s simply the opportunity hasn’t presented itself.”
Schuerholz acknowledged the meeting Monday but declined further comment, saying in a statement: “We had a meeting with Mr. Beasley and another member of his organization this morning and discussed a variety of topics.”
Less than 10 percent of major league players are African-Americans. In a recent interview on the subject, Schuerholz said: “You go to where the talent leads you. Finding major league-caliber baseball players is far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to demographics.”
Countered Beasley, “As I expected, [Schuerholz?s] idea is the bottom line: I’ll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from on the field, and that’s fair. But the fact of the matter is if they put resources into recruiting here in the United States, and more specifically here in Atlanta, there are talented players here.”
The issue was brought to the attention of the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition during the 60th anniversary celebration of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. The Braves and Houston Astros did not have any African-American players on their 25-man rosters at the time. The Braves’ total grew with the promotion of left fielder Willie Harris, who is from Robinson?s hometown of Cairo.
“You slipped down to nothing, now you’ve got one, we expect it to start going up higher,” Beasley said was the sentiment he voiced in the meeting. “We want to see incrementally it move back up, rather than moving down. There was an openness on [Schuerholz's] part to talk and to be in dialogue and hopefully be in partnership in trying to make sure that it happens. He was very nice, a gentleman. I’m going to hold him to his word to work with us and move those numbers back up to a respectable level.”
The Braves would be wise to tap into all the talented ballplayers in the Negro League.
I agree with you, freaking WOW. It isn’t like the Braves aren’t ethnically diverse … I could understand if the organization was 100% caucasian, but it’s not. What a bunch of idiots.
The Braves are racists, they need mo’ rappers. Chea!
Seriously, Edgar Renteria, Soriano, and that new guy playing left field from GA doesn’t keep Dr. Rev. Mr. Jesse Jackson happy?
He needs to go try to lynch Imus or something. Fucktards…
Another tought, when the KKK starts bitching about the lack of non-European white boys in the NBA will it become national news?
Why stop there, Jesse?
Why not demand that you and your family take control over all of Turner Field’s concessions?
It helped your family get lucrative Bud distributorships and perhaps a Toyota dealership, seriously, why stop there?
Does Freaknik not have an annual baseball tournament?
Traveshamockery.