African American baseball players are more than leaving their mark on the Little League World Series; they are making headlines. And while most of the American players are White, that is not the case for two teams.
From the Taney baseball team from Philadelphia to the Jackie Robinson West team from Chicago, these city kids are proving that Black ball players can dominate.
The biggest headliner of these games was Taney’s Mo’Ne Davis, an African American girl who has been throwing fist balls right by the boys. Last week she became the first girl in Little League World Series history to throw a shutout, and she also became the sixth girl to ever record an RBI in a Little League World Series game.
Davis has become such a major sensation that she became the first Little Leaguer, regardless of race or gender, to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. Her 70-mph fast ball is flying right by batters, and she is endearing herself to the public in a way similar to what Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas did two years ago in gymnastics.
Davis led the way for Taney during the series games, but she is not the only African American on her team. About half of Taney’s team members are Black, which is a sight normally not seen.
In the case of Jackie Robinson West, the entire team is Black. And this team has turned heads on the biggest stage of their sport. While all-Black teams are not unusual in basketball and football, these kids are showing that baseball is still being played in the inner cities of this country.
The percentage of African American Major League Baseball players has dwindled down to about 8 percent of the league, sparking the league to create programs such as the Urban Youth Academy, and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. These programs have built baseball parks and created youth baseball leagues in urban areas.
Baseball was once the most popular sport in this country, and the best Black athletes were some of the best ball players.
With the success of Taney, Jackie Robinson West, and the new-found star power of Davis, more Black children may take a much greater interest in the sport.
