Chris Rock rants about the lack of African-Americans in baseball (HBO's Real Sports)

[Ronnie-]

I can ALMOST see the point of something happening every minute or so in football and not in baseball IF and ONLY if your definition of "something happening" is a someone getting a hit. To me, every pitch is "something happening". Defense is as entertaining as offense. It's like complaining about a "chorus line" football game (you, know... 1-2-3-kick! 1-2-3-kick). Some people's heads explode in excitement over a 3-0 overtime football game, while they complain about a boring baseball game.

It is definitely a matter of perception.

The hitting is alot of it, and thats why I said its a more explosive type of action, even on a 1-2-3 kick defensive "snooze fest". Where as in baseball, the same type of game would be a ton of standing around for the majority of the players for the majority of the game. I honestly remember times where our pitcher was on, and I would get bored. And I was playing the game.

I can enjoy both, but I can certainly see why people would complain more about the lack of action in a baseball game vs the same in a football contest.

 

[Kraven]

When was the last time Chris Rock opened his mouth and whatever came came didnt include race?
If the dude is so bitter then he should walk the walk instead of talking

 

[Ronnie-]

All that said, if I did not have to drive so far for a baseball game (outside of local high school or summer league) I would go watch. Our closest MLB market is Atlanta, and thats a 5-6 hour drive. Closest Minor League game or college would be an hour drive, so we just dont do it all that often.

 

[TNGTony]

In that sense I am really lucky. I have the Reds for MLB only a 20 minute drive from my house.
Florence Freedom, Dayton Dragons, Lexington Legends, Louisville (River)Bats, Indianapolis Indians, Columbus Clippers for minor league baseball all within a 30 min to 2 hour easy drive up an interstate.
Hamilton Joes, Cincinnati Steam and Cincinnati Spikes for summer Collegiate development league all within a 20 minute drive.
Miami of Hamilton, Miami Middletown, Miami U (Oxford), Univ. of Cincinnati, Xavier University, College of Mt. St. Joseph, Northern Ky U. Wilmington College, UC Clermont for college baseball all within 1 hour's drive.

I guess that's why I am such a fan of the game. I get to watch all levels and really enjoy the game.

 

[salsadancer7]

Baseball is better at the stadium..football is better on tv

I have gotten to the point where I feel that watching them at home is actually better than live...unless of course it is a playoff game.

 

[Jimbo]

I have gotten to the point where I feel that watching them at home is actually better than live...unless of course it is a playoff game.

Isn't HD and Big Screens wonderful !

 

[salsadancer7]

Isn't HD and Big Screens wonderful !

So is no line to the bathroom, eat YOUR OWN food and PAUSE live action....

 

[SamCdbs]

Chris Rock, while not exactly stupid, has been educated far beyond his intellect.

Baseball does business in two countries. The USA and Canada. The USA is about 13% black. Canada, which is one-tenth the size is 3% black. That works out to about 11.5% black between the two countries it does business in. Baseball is 8.5% black (here note that "black" means non-Hispanic black). 8.5% of the players, 11.5% of the market. Not that bad really. If this were a quota system, baseball needs about 13 more USA/Canadian blacks to be "even".

And if you wanted to have a quota system, the under-represented group? Umm, Chris, that would be white non-Hispanic people. Who make up about 77% of the combined population of the USA and Canada, yet only about 55% of MLB players.

But, of course, baseball draws players not just from the USA and Canada. It draws from all the baseball playing countries. The ex-Spanish (and the still Dutch) Caribbean. The ex-Spanish parts of the North American mainland (Mexico and Central America), the northern rim of ex-Spanish South America (mostly Venezuela and also Columbia) ; and from baseball playing nations in Asia (Japan, South Korea and Taiwan). With a few wild card players from Australia, and there are now some minor leaguers from the cricket playing nations trying to convert to baseball, because of the $$ involved.

And the %age of American and Canadian blacks who live in those countries is, umm, well, zero. (Note here that many Latin players are black, but none are "African American" (and note that my, and Mr. Rock's accounting, as MLB's official stats, make that distinction.) And there are more people living in those countries than live in the USA and Canada. Almost three times as many. That means 8% of baseball players in the Majors are black (non-Hispanic black people born in the USA or Canada) while less than 4% of the potential talent pool is. Thus blacks are over-represented in MLB, as a %age of the potential talent pool, as they are in the NBA and NFL. Latins, both those born elsewhere and those born in the USA, are "over represented".

Of course that only matters if you look at people through the prism of color, as Mr. Rock and his ilk do. I only see one color. Red. Cincinnati Red.

 

[Ronnie-]

I have gotten to the point where I feel that watching them at home is actually better than live...unless of course it is a playoff game.

It certainly has its advantages, the rush to get out at the end being the biggest one.

To me though, even though I watch the vast majority of games at home, there is just something special about tailgating in Tuscaloosa on game day then walking into Bryant Denney for the game. It is just something that you do not get at home.

I love it.

Until the last minute of the game when me and 200,000 other people are trying to use the same closed off roads to get home. lol