Central Idea: The number of African American males playing baseball has declined drastically since 1975.

I. “The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it."

A. This is a quote from the late Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 broke color barriers by being the first African American to play Major League Baseball.

B. He was a courageous American citizen and an example of leadership that we should all follow.

II. But almost sixty years later, a shocking trend has developed.

A. According to an article in Sports Illustrated, this season only 10% of MLB players are black. That is down from 27% in 1975.

B. As a fan of baseball, when I researched this topic, I was shocked to see these numbers.

III. There are several factors that have lead to the decline in blacks involved in baseball, but tonight, I would like to touch on two of the reasons for which I feel are the most important.

A. One being the rise in popularity of Basketball and Football,

B. And the other, which I will start with, is the lack of African American star

1. They have no heroes to look up to, to make them want to play the game.

D. Possibly one of the biggest reasons that baseball is less popular is that it requires a lot of fundamentals, a larger understanding of the game, and it is more of a team sport.

I. Sports are filled with heroes and superstars; from Michael Jordan, to Donovan McNabb, to Allen Iverson. But who are baseball’s stars?

a) Gone are the days where a player like Reggie Jackson’s face was on dozens of products. Now all kids want are the new pair of Iversons or Jordans.

B. Because of the decline of blacks in baseball, each generation shows less interest in the game, and in turn becomes less and less knowledgeable about the game.

Some topics in this essay:
Atlanta Braves, African American, African Americans, Sports Illustrated, Iversons Jordans, League Baseball, That's It’s, Griffey Jr, Jackie Robinson, Barry Bonds, african american, inner city, major league baseball, 1 baseball, league baseball, american males, playing baseball, city children, major league, jackie robinson, inner city children, african american males, black males,