The Show Notes #14: Black Baseball's Modern Meccas
The fourteenth entry in The Show Notes series highlights the places and regions across the world where Black Baseball Culture is still thriving
Introduction
While people on the outside looking in such as Cam Newton make egregious assumptions about the future of baseball in the United States, the sport is quietly spreading its reach and reclaiming ground that it lost during the 1990s and 2000s. The narrative that Black Baseball Culture is on the verge of extinction couldn’t be more untrue, even with the annual reactionary handwringing from the Black MLB players of yesteryear. If anything, the case could be made that Black Baseball Culture is on an upward trajectory. This article highlights Black Baseball’s modern epicenters and notable active players in MLB and MiLB who have hailed from these regions.
Atlanta, Georgia
The Greater Atlanta area usurped Southern California as the epicenter of African-American baseball culture during the 2010s and 2020s. However, despite producing many relevant MLB players and top prospects in MiLB, the area has gone relatively unnoticed for its productivity. Although the city has produced a bevy of position players, it has yet to produce starting pitchers or relievers at a relatively high rate.
New York City, New York
NYC’s reputation as a basketball city has overshadowed its long history of producing talented Black baseball players from throughout the African diaspora. Some notable names of the past include Rod Carew, Willie Randolph, and Bobby Bonilla. This is another group of active players that is centered around position players.
Florida
Florida’s history of producing Black baseball players is substantial, especially when considering how many talented Afro-Caribbean players have come out of the state in the last 15 years. The state has been a hotbed for talented Black starters and intriguing Black relief pitchers for over 75 years.
Texas
By the end of the 1990s, football and basketball completely overshadowed baseball in the Lone Star State. However, Texas is experiencing a quiet resurgence as a state that produces quality Black baseball players.
California
Southern California’s rich history of producing Black baseball players is nearing 100 years of existence. Inner circle Hall of Famers such as Tony Gwynn and Jackie Robinson called Southern California home for most of their lives.
Dominican Republic
Contrary to popular belief, baseball players from the Dominican Republic have acknowledged their Blackness on record before and after MLB’s Integration, such as Rabbit Martinez, Juan Marichal, and Felipe Alou.
Puerto Rico
Afro-Puerto Rican players have a long history of claiming their Blackness on record. They’re very vocal about being perceived as Black and Latino, and this tradition has not changed.
Cuba
Black players from Cuba have been a fixture in the Negro Leagues and MLB. Led by Yordan Alvarez, there is a large contingent of Afro-Cuban talent in MLB and the upper levels of MiLB.
Curaçao
The small Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao produces more baseball players per capita than any other country in the world.
Canada
Canada has a long history of producing Black baseball players from throughout the African diaspora, from Fergie Jenkins’s Barbadian father to MiLB players born in the 2000s.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas’ lengthy relationship and absolute infatuation with baseball is one of the Anglophone Caribbean’s biggest kept secrets. The island nation is similar to Curaçao in how many professional players it produces despite its small size.
Nicaragua
The Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua is home to the largest ethnic enclave of English speakers in all of Latin America. This ethnic enclave of Jamaican-Nicaraguans has played baseball since the early 1900s and is still producing professional baseball players in the present day.
