With the departure of Carlos Delgado and the recent arrival of Cory Koskie the Toronto Blue Jays just keep getting whiter.I Think it's a good deal having white guys on the corners,since Eric Hinske will now move to first and Koskie will play third.Blacks lack depth in a number of positions in baseball,particularly third.Other than Terry Pendelton I can't think of another black who could do it with the glove and the bat at third in the last 30 years or so.There have been attempts like Pedro Guerrero,Bobby Bonillia,Darnell Coles(Sparky Anderson called him the worst fielder he has ever seen) Garry Sheffield started out there and Carlos Delgado was given a shot there too among his other positions.All failed.At first,blacks used to have depth,but in recent times they are not cutting it.There are some that have played first,but they are only there because they can't play anywhere else,a la Frank Thomas and Mo Vaughn.Now back to the Jays,they are down to three black-americans four latinos and that is it.This should upset the Toronto Star.Back two summers ago that daily paper had a front page story,an expose if you will,about how the Jays were too white compared to other teams in baseball.They had headshots of all the white players right on the front page.I kid you not.The stupidest thing that was said was since Toronto is such a multicultural city the Jays should reflect the city and should have players of many different backgrounds.If that should be the case then the Toronto Raptors should have more white players as well as Asian,Pakistani,Filipino,etc...
Toronto White Jays
- Thread starter speedster
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The dearth of black third baseman is a baseball oddity. At no time in history has there been many black third baseman. You mention Terry Pendleton but other then him and Bill Madlock there has never been a decent black third baseman. I think it has something to do with the idea that blacks make better outfielders because of their supposed speed but if they are too poor a fielder to play the outfielder then 3rd is out of the question so they get shuttled to first. Today teams put up with black outfielders that play worse then little leaguers so there is no need to move them.
As for Toronto they have always seemed one of the darker teams to me. I'm surprised they had an issue of being too white. Geez, only white people could have a country that is 90% white (Canada) and bitch about the racial composition of the local ball team being too white!
As for Toronto they have always seemed one of the darker teams to me. I'm surprised they had an issue of being too white. Geez, only white people could have a country that is 90% white (Canada) and bitch about the racial composition of the local ball team being too white!
That's what makes this Toronto Star story so silly,because for years the Jays had a pipeline to the Dominican Republic and routinely fielded on average of six players of colour of their starting nine.When that changed a couple of years ago the Star needed to investigate.I might add too that the Star broke a major story(at least in their minds) about the racial-profiling that is used by the Toronto Police Department.So I Think the Star considers themselves the defenders of the black race and people of colour.
The Blue Jays for most of their existence only had one or two white everyday starters and nobody complained then. I remember the newspaper article about the team being too white. There was a similar contrived mini-uproar in Pittsburgh in '01 when the Pirates opened the season with seven white starters.
There's almost a reverse caste system in place in baseball, in that blacks are rarities at pitcher, catcher, third base and first base, the difference being of course that it is because of a lack of capable players. The elites would love it if MLB could be made to resemble the NFL and NBA.
BTW, it's hard to believe Darnell Coles was a worse fielder than Bobby Bonilla. I didn't think it was possible to be a worse fielder than that bum!
Edited by: Don Wassall
There's almost a reverse caste system in place in baseball, in that blacks are rarities at pitcher, catcher, third base and first base, the difference being of course that it is because of a lack of capable players. The elites would love it if MLB could be made to resemble the NFL and NBA.
BTW, it's hard to believe Darnell Coles was a worse fielder than Bobby Bonilla. I didn't think it was possible to be a worse fielder than that bum!
bjan
Newbie
Don, I remember a time in Pittsburgh, It may have been late 60's or early 70's,when the Pirates fielded an all Black lineup.
The Pirates have had problems finding 3rd basemen"as most teams do"that are effective.In the 50's they had a guy named Vic Janowitz who could not catch a cold!An if he did make a play,**** Stuart,"Dr Strangeglove" at 1st base could not hold on to the throw.
The Pirates have had problems finding 3rd basemen"as most teams do"that are effective.In the 50's they had a guy named Vic Janowitz who could not catch a cold!An if he did make a play,**** Stuart,"Dr Strangeglove" at 1st base could not hold on to the throw.
On 9-1-71 the Pittsburgh Pirates field the first all-black starting lineup: Al Oliver 1b, Rennie Stennett 2b, Jackie Hernandez ss, Dave Cash 3b, Manny Sanguillen c, Dock Ellis p, Gene Clines lf, Roberto Clemente cf, and Willie Stargell rf.
Dave Cash was a second baseman. Putting him at third that day was pretty much a stunt in order to have the first all-black lineup.
The Pirates' regular third baseman in that era was Richie Hebner. He was a .300 hitter and a decent enough fielder. He had a strong New England accent, an extroverted personality, and the kind of looks that young girls swoon over.
Hebner, the only white starter, was also the only player who was regularly booed by the fans. Any time he struck out or made an error, Hebner heard it. None of the black players on the team was treated remotely as poorly by the Pittsburgh fans. It taught me a lesson early on about white self-loathing and the unfair expectations and burdens put on white athletes.
The Pirates' regular third baseman in that era was Richie Hebner. He was a .300 hitter and a decent enough fielder. He had a strong New England accent, an extroverted personality, and the kind of looks that young girls swoon over.
Hebner, the only white starter, was also the only player who was regularly booed by the fans. Any time he struck out or made an error, Hebner heard it. None of the black players on the team was treated remotely as poorly by the Pittsburgh fans. It taught me a lesson early on about white self-loathing and the unfair expectations and burdens put on white athletes.
Teams like the Blue Jays are needed to keep
guys like Dusty Baker from recking the game. You guys remember
the pennant winning Giants a couple of years ago. They were so
black.
Also he said blacks played better in the day because it was hot
out. That is the biggest piece of crap. He adjusted the
lineup based on this?
guys like Dusty Baker from recking the game. You guys remember
the pennant winning Giants a couple of years ago. They were so
black.
Also he said blacks played better in the day because it was hot
out. That is the biggest piece of crap. He adjusted the
lineup based on this?