BASEBALL COLOR IT UNCHANGED : Experience Tells Us It's No Coincidence

BASEBALL COLOR IT UNCHANGED : Experience Tells Us It’s No Coincidence

By MIKE DOWNEY

Dec. 8, 1991 12 AM PT

The person behind the desk smiled and said: “Welcome to Managerial Employment Services. Please, have a seat.”

The visitor sat.

“So, how can I help you?”

“Well, I’m looking for a managerial position.”

“I see. Do you have any previous experience?”

“No.”

“OK, then let me just jot down a few facts about you.”

“Fine.”

“Age?”

“Middle.”

“Sex?”

“Male.”

“Race?”

“Black.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, sir. I have no jobs for you.”

“No jobs?”

“No managerial positions at this time.”

“But I heard you had several managerial openings.”

“They’ve been filled.”

“By whom?”

“By . . . uh, other guys.”

“White guys?”

“Coincidentally, yes.”

“Every managerial job?”

“Yes.”

“Every single one?”

“Yes, but I do have some outstanding coaching opportunities here that I’m sure would interest you.”

“Both New York jobs, both Chicago jobs already filled?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Boston? Milwaukee? Seattle?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Who got those jobs?”

“Good people.”

“Experienced people?”

“Well . . . .”

“People with more managerial experience than me?”

“Uh . . . .”

“Did the Boston job go to somebody with major league managing experience? Yes or no.”

“No.”

“Did Milwaukee’s?”

“No.”

“What about that White Sox job? That was one I wanted. Who got that?”

“The third base coach from Pittsburgh.”

“Who got the Mets’ job?”

“The White Sox manager.”

“Ah, at least they got somebody with experience. Who got the Cubs’ job?”

“The Seattle manager.”

“Did Montreal need a new manager?”

“No, Montreal changed managers last season.”

“How about California? Did the Angels need a manager?”

“No, they hired the manager Montreal fired.”

“I see.”

“But you can’t say he had no experience!”

“Guess not.”

“Honestly, sir. There’s no conspiracy here. It’s just the way these things go.”

“Yeah. I guess baseball teams have to hire men who have the right necessities.”

“The what?”

“Never mind. Private joke.”

“Sir, you don’t honestly believe that there’s job discrimination in major league baseball?”

“No, baseball’s made great strides the last few years.”

“I agree.”

“Sure. There are all those people of color in management positions now.”

“Absolutely . . . uh, there are?”

“Sure. And there are all those minorities in general manager jobs.”

“There are?”

“And in managing jobs.”

“There are?”

“No doubt about it. Ever since baseball set out to do something about minority hiring, we’ve seen so many revolutionary changes!”

“We have?”

“Sure. Major league baseball made a commitment to minority hiring, and a promise is a promise.”

“I haven’t seen . . . .”

“Just look at all the black managers we have in baseball now, as opposed to a few years ago. There’s . . . uh, there’s . . . .”

“Uh . . . .”

“I was thinking of one just the other day.”

“Uh . . . .”

“There’s . . . .”

“Toronto?”

“Yes, Toronto! Very good!”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, the Toronto manager only got the job because he was a coach filling in the manager’s spot until they got somebody better, and he did such a good job, they had to give it to him full time. But that’s not important.”

“It isn’t?”

“No! We’ve had plenty of black managers in baseball, before and since!”

“We have?”

“We’ve had Frank Robinson!”

“Yes!”

“And we’ve had . . . uh, we’ve had . . . we’ve had Frank Robinson!”

“Right!”

“And, well, let me see here, uh . . . the Yankees have replaced their manager 10 or 12 times . . . we must have had a black Yankee manager at some point . . . .”

“Not that I recall.”

“Well, no matter. The Cubs have gone through a bunch of managers . . . we must have had a black Cub manager at some point . . . .”

“Not that I recall.”

“But we’ve had Frank Robinson!”

“Yes!”

“Nobody can say we haven’t had Frank Robinson!”

“Yes!”

“Good day, sir.”

“Good day!”

“Thank you for your time.”

“No,” said the man behind the desk, the man doing the employing. “Thank you for your patience.”

* FED UP: Frank White, a rookie league manager for the Red Sox, is one of several former players who are frustrated. C3