Houston manager Dusty Baker celebrated Jackie Robinson’s legacy on the 73rd anniversary of the fall of the major league color barrier and lamented the lack of African Americans in today’s game. “It’s frustrating because we’ve talked about it forever ...
but it seems like the numbers are dwindling instead of increasing," Baker said Wednesday. Only 7.7% of big league players on opening day rosters last year were African American, down from 17% in 1990.
Baker and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts are the only two African American managers in the majors. Baker appreciates that the league is making a “conscious effort" to get more young African Americans involved in baseball through programs like Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and is optimistic