No Black players expected in World Series, a 1st since 1950

Gary Matthews, a standout for the Philadelphia Phillies, viewed Memorial Stadium before to Game 1 of the 1983 World Series and noticed a great deal of Black talent.

Joe Morgan. Eddie Murray. Garry Maddox. Ken Singleton. Al Bumbry. Disco Dan Ford. And lots more in Baltimore that night.

Matthews recalls, “There were quite a few of us there.”

This week, as spectators watch the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies line up to begin the Fall Classic, the scene will be very different.

Certainly, Houston’s Jose Altuve and Philadelphia’s Jean Segura are among the many Latino players that contribute to the diversity of major league clubs.

For the first time since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1950, there are expected to be no U.S.-born Black players in this World Series.

Zero.

Bob Kendrick, head of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, stated, “That is eye-opening.” “It is quite surprising that there is not a single Black participant in two places with large African-American populations.”

“It demonstrates that there is certainly more work to be done in order to provide possibilities for Black children to follow their dreams at the greatest level,” he added.

In 1947, Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and participated in the World Series. Since then, the 1950 World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies has been the only one without a Black participant.