Submitted by Eddie B. Tombs IV
The reason the Orioles will not win a World Series Championship is because they have no African Americans from Baltimore City and Baltimore County on their baseball team.
Back years ago, you had people like Frank Robinson, Erold Hendricks and Eddie Murray who were top players on the Orioles. There were a few other African-American players as well. Not all of them were from Baltimore, but you had more African-American players. Problem is, the Orioles refuse to have any Black players from Baltimore on their team.
However, as the years have gone by there has been more of a decline of African Americans in Major League Baseball despite there being baseball teams all over Baltimore City and Baltimore County made up of Black American players. Let’s not forget softball, which comes out of Baseball, where you can see several African-American men and women participate in this sport.
Not every Black American athlete is going into the NFL or the NBA.
So, why not have them play professionally with the Orioles? What happened?
Sure over the last 10 years, before he left the Orioles in 2018, you had Adam Jones but Adam is not the only African-American who can play baseball.
Please do not get me wrong there is a lot of talent on the Orioles, but not enough diversity. Why are the Orioles afraid to get African-American baseball players out of Baltimore City and Baltimore County?
What happened? The Orioles have talent in their own city and they are ignoring it. It is good they have a few African Americans on the team but why are they getting them. After their prime. The Orioles should be recruiting them at the age of 21, 22 and 23. They should be scouting them at the age of 18 to see if they have potential in three years to go professional.
What is the problem with this organization? Back in the day the Orioles had a better farm system for recruiting players and they had top people working with the players. So, please tell me what happened?
I do not know everything about baseball, but what I do know is the Orioles have not won a World Series since 1983. That was the year before I was born 38 years ago.
I hope this organization turns around and really takes time to work with African Americans in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. People are looking for work so why not put them on the team if they have the talent. I can count the Black players on the team on my fingers. I do not see at least three players from Baltimore who are African American.
I only see one African-American coach. Could be more but maybe the Orioles are hiding them in the closet. What is the issue with the Orioles? Maybe the Orioles like not winning the World Series.
Sincerely,
Eddie B. Tombs IV
Baltimore resident
The post Letter to the Editor: The Orioles need to recruit Black players from Baltimore City, County appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .
