Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Another Jackie Robinson Day


Yesterday, MLB patted itself on the back as it does every April 15, anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line with the Dodgers in 1947.  Guys, if there’d been no color line in the first place, this would all be unnecessary, sort of like having Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis—who kept baseball white during his tenure, 1920-1944—in Cooperstown.

 

Anyway, the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida University used the occasion to release its annual report card.  Gender hiring in major-league baseball received a C, not to be confused with the C- for gender hiring in senior team administration (think VPs) and a D+ for gender hiring in team professional administration (think front office).  As I recall, Clare got one C in high school and college.

 

Guys own teams, so they basically hire guys to run teams; that’s the way things have been in baseball since…forever.  My daughter would like to work for an MLB club in a capacity that doesn’t involve charity, community outreach or marketing, the trifecta of gender pigeonholing.  Nobody’s breaking down her door with offers.

 

Of course, women have a place in baseball.  Too bad it’s as spectators only.    

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