On a monologue for HBO’s Real Sports this week, comedian Chris Rock attempted to tackle a question that has plagued him as fan of America’s pastime: “what ever happened to African-Americans in baseball?
While almost 20% of major league players were African-American when Rock was growing up — last years World Series had zero black players.
Add to that he said, “The crowds were more than 90% white, like the Ferguson Police Department.”
“I don’t care about any of this as a black guy,” Rock said later in the segment. “I care about this as a baseball fan.” He said African-Americans “don’t really need” baseball, but baseball needs them. “The fact is, black America decides what’s hot and what young people get excited about.”