5 Reasons Why Major League Baseball is Declining Among African American Youth

Baseball has to be the worst marketing machine in professional sports. In this day and age professional golfers are showcased better than professional baseball stars. In comparison, the NFL and NBA are "over the top" with their superstars and their promotion. NBA players are marketed as "Gods" and NFL players as "superhuman machines" who perform at a level none of us mortals could dream of. Whether it is Nike, Gatorade, Nestle Crunch, or John Madden football, fans enjoy seeing there heroes portrayed as heroes. If Nike makes sure we know Lebron James is "King James", then who makes sure we know Roger Clemens is the "The Rocket"?

2. Equipment and locations

The most obvious reason baseball is not popular among inner city youth is locations and equipment. To get 16 kids together with 16 gloves, and find a safe location to play baseball in the poor neighborhoods of this country is not likely. Yes I am sure the conditions in many of the Latin American countries are a lot worse than American ghettos, but in almost every ghetto across the U.S.A. you will definitely find a basketball court or an empty street for a football game. No bats needed, no gloves, one ball and 10 basketball players, or 20 football players, and the rest is history.

3. Identify with the Stars

I asked a group of 12-15 year olds to name five current major league stars. Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, A Rod, uuuhhhh. Young black kids do not know and do not have an interest in learning about baseball and its superstar athletes. When I asked these same young people about Dwayne Wade, they reeled off his hometown, what college he attended, his life growing up in Chicago, etc. etc. MLB has done a very poor job of promoting its game to the inner city youth of this country. The priority of baseball to promote its sport to the Latin American countries is prevalent with the development its academies it plans to open. It is a shame because so many baseball players have came from situations many of the disadvantaged youth in this country could identify with, but instead of tapping that opportunity, MLB has taken its youth programs south of the border. I have seen the "NBA Cares" and The NFL United Way commercials; I have no idea who baseball partners with in the community.

4. The Approach of Young Talent

What day is the Major League Baseball draft? Better yet, who was the first person selected last year? Young people love drafts. They love seeing where there favorite college players will end up at the next level. Will it be Oden or Durant? Will it Be Jemarcus Russell or Calvin Johnson? When it comes to baseball, the question is will it even be televised? Unless you are a baseball aficionado, you have absolutely no use for the MLB draft. Beyond even inner city youth, just the common fan would be hard pressed to know who the top prospect is in this year's draft. In the other two sports goliaths (NBA and NFL); fans are enamored with the thought that this rookie could change a 2-14 football team into an 8-8 wild card team. This high flying small forward could get my Pacers into the Eastern Conference finals. Rookies bring excitement, the thought of out with the old and in with the new. In baseball, fans don't even know when rookies will play for their team.

5. The game itself.

The game itself needs revamping. Major League Baseball needs a complete overhaul, from inside and out. The arrogance of baseball, and the belief of it still being America's past time needs to cease. America's past time is football, and has been for quite some time. Baseball needs to take a look at all of its policies and procedures and join the 21^st century. Baseball needs to realize there are a lot of worse things in sports than steroids (ask David Stern). In the NFL, if you test positive for a banned substance, you're hit with a suspension. In Major League Baseball you test positive for a banned substance, and there is a congressional hearing, or in one players case, you test negative for a banned substance and there is a congressional hearing (see Barry Bonds). Baseball needs a salary cap to eliminate some of the most outrageous contracts ever imagined. Baseball needs to speed up its 3-5 hour game lengths. Baseball needs to eliminate its idiotic traditions like plucking batters who hit a homerun the previous inning. Baseball needs to make all of its players bat and field, eliminating the DH. Simply put, baseball needs to destroy and rebuild itself, and then and only then will it be more appealing to it's American youth.