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In a roundtable discussion on race in baseball with USA Today, the subject of the lack of American Black players in the league came up. More Black American athletes are choosing to play other sports, such as basketball and football, but there are plenty of Black Latino (or Afro-Latino) players. According to L.A. Angels center fielder Torii Hunter, however, Black Latinos don't count when it comes to the race disparity in baseball."People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they're African American," Hunter told USA Today. "They're not us. They're impostors. Even people I know come up and say, 'Hey, what color is [former teammate] Vladimir Guerrero? Is he a black player?' I say, Come on, he's Dominican. He's not black."
Apparently someone forgot to tell Hunter that race (Black) and nationality (Dominican) are two different things.
"As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off as us," Hunter continued. "It's like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. It's like, 'Why should I get this kid from the South Side of Chicago and have Scott Boras represent him and pay him $5 million, when you can get a Dominican guy for a bag of chips?' I'm telling you, it's sad."
For the most part, it seems, in Hunter's mind "black" only refers to African-Americans and not Afro-Latinos. Except for the fact that plenty of Afro-Latino players are holding 7-figure contracts (hardly a bag of chips), it looks like most Afro-Latinos agree with Hunter.
"I took no offense to it," Angels broadcaster Jose Mota, a Dominican, told USA Today, "and I guarantee you that no Latin player would be offended either. I've even been asked the same question, 'Are you black?' So call me an imposter."
"I think most Latin players want to be recognized from where they're really from," added Atlanta Braves catcher Orlando Mercado said. "That's their pride. I'm from (Mayaguez) Puerto Rico, so I want to be recognized as Puerto Rican."
Hunter stands firm in his comments but wanted to make clear that he wasn't disparaging Afro-Latinos but just trying to make the point that he wants more Black Americans on baseball fields. He went on his Angels-sponsored blog to reiterate his point and play down any ideas of racism toward Afro-Latinos.
"What troubles me most was the word impostors appearing in reference to Latin American players not being black players. It was the wrong word choice, and it definitely doesn't accurately reflect how I feel and who I am," Hunter said. "What I meant was they're not black players; they're Latin American players. There is a difference culturally. But on the field, we're all brothers, no matter where we come from, and that's something I've always taken pride in: treating everybody the same, whether he's a superstar or a young kid breaking in to the game. Where he was born and raised makes no difference."
Comments: (95)
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By: Sheesh on 3/14/2010 4:11PM
Testing.
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By: pyt on 3/14/2010 6:30PM
Bill, you really need to get the hell off this sight. Let me first start out and say I'm a PROUD black woman, and there's no way in hell do I want to be white..How are you comparing to what SOME blacks do, to sn entire race? You are very ignorant, and a coward not to mention b/c you wouldnt dare express that in a black person face..People really fail to realize that in every race there's the good and the bad. Yes there are ghetto black ppl, and there are blacks that are educated..Theres white trash, and there's educated whites..so forth and so on..As far as behavior goes....um lets see...Theres nothing worse than a drunken white girl..they are very loose. They fuck and suck everything.. throw up in the street, lack plenty of class....trust me I live nyc..I seen it all!!
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By: concerned american on 3/14/2010 6:57PM
I dont blame afro-latino who dont want to identify with african americans. Everytime you turn on the news it's always some ghetto hoodlum doing heinous crimes. Black people have no unity like the other races have. All you have to do is turn the radio on to any urban station and hear the filth that is displayed all over the airways. The music sound like it came from the bowels of hell.
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By: Bill Schrier on 3/14/2010 7:00PM
Yes, all true.
And yet, just pointing out this truth, you will be labeled a "racist" by the blacks here.
They just can't stand the truth about themselves.
I don't enjoy pointing the truth out to them, but sometimes you have to pound it into them. Until them accept the truth about themselves, there will no hope for them to improve themselves. They need to accept their limitations, and make improvements in their present gutter culture. Hopefully, they see'll this. I'll do my part and keep trying to help them.
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By: John Lindsay on 3/14/2010 7:44PM
The issue here is "whether major league baseball is passing off Afro-Latinos as being African American."
It's sort of parallel to "White employers killing 2 birds with one stone: One, they hire a White woman because she's considered a minority, and two, she's also a woman," which meets the gender issue.
Are these Afro-Latinos being paid the same money that an African American player would receive?!
Probably not, since they come from countries that have a lower-level of living than we do.
I am NOT saying that "they will work for lesser pay." Just that they're used to receiving less money, and thus a contract amount that would be rejected by American players....would indeed be accepted by foreign players...the first time they negotiate a contract.
When the first contract expires, they will endeavor to obtain contracts parallel to what American players are receiving.
Hence, the owners are the ones that benefit.
The other issue is "whether or not the decrease in African American players has to do with 1) less recruitment of African American players due to more focus for "cheaper-for-now foreign players" or 2) more opportunities are opening up for African Americans in other areas, or 3) both # 1 and #2 together are playing a role in the decreased number of African American players in baseball.
Going by the EEOC's employment discrimination statistics, we KNOW that employment discrimination has not lessened.
Hence, the recruitment of Afro-Latino baseball players is parallel to how "race-horse owners drove African American jockeys out of horse racing 90 years ago"....with a slightly different spin.
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By: John Lindsay on 3/14/2010 7:49PM
Bill Schrier: And, as black men complain, in addition to their looks, the worst aspect of black women is their crudeness, their loudness and foul language. No man sees that as feminine.
JL: And no Man of Color that hears or reads of a racist comment by White women...would view such White women as feminine.
As to myself, any White woman that utters a racist comment, is nothing but a big fat zero.
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By: Bill Schrier on 3/14/2010 8:26PM
John Lindsay,
I've got news for you. The vast majority of white women that would date a black man would only do so if he had money, in which case they certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to ruin their chances of getting their hands on that money by uttering what you would consider a racist comment, even though they otherwise would utter such racist comments and are certainly thinking along those lines.
There are exceptions, like Obama's mother, who had a perverted thing for non-White men. But these are definitely the exception.
The rule are women like Tiger Woods' wife, who only married him because he had money. They'd marry any man, any race, any age if they had money.
There are lots of white women like this, and lots of women of any race like this.
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By: Sheesh on 3/14/2010 8:28PM
Bill Schrier: And, as black men complain, in addition to their looks, the worst aspect of black women is their crudeness, their loudness and foul language. No man sees that as feminine.
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And as people all over the world can see black men have mental issues. They depend on women of other races to validate them, while they continuously complain about racism against them, yet are always throwing shade on black women. Can your type start another argument, please. Black men can't stay out of prison and keep from killing one another. It would behove of you to speak on those things instead of spewing your bitter, "black women are this and that" nonsense. Clean up your own backyard, then come talk to us. Thank you.
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By: Bill Schrier on 3/14/2010 8:42PM
sheesh,
Don't take it personally. Just as black women are considered unattractive, not just by many successful black men but even by many of themselves, so are black men considered unattractive by the vast majority of most white women.
This isn't my opinion, I never post anything that I can't back up with proof.
I get this from the statistics put together by dating sites, which track the preferences of those who seek to date inter-racially. The majority are non-whites who are seeking to date whites, much more infrequently is it the reverse.
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By: Bill Schrier on 3/14/2010 8:48PM
sheesh,
Also, I agree with you 100% that black men have major self-esteem issues, just as black women do, arguably worse.
I wish all blacks would focus on getting an education and doing the best they can in the legitimate work world. It doesn't help that black culture glorifies gangsters and whores. It doesn't help that black women are willing to have children out of wedlock. Children of any race are far more likely to screw up in life if they don't have a solid family life, with a mother and father.
At one time, blacks had a far more secure family structure, back before the mid-60's when all the liberal social welfare programs started. This is when the black family started breaking down, with the government, in the form of child welfare assistance and social workers, replaced the black man as the father in the black family. This is what I have tried over and over to help blacks see, but to no avail. They still overwhelmingly think the Democratic party has been their friend, when in fact it has destroyed the black family.
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