Braves meet with Rainbow/PUSH officials [Atlanta Braves]

From: Rodney K. on 8 May 2007 21:41

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/05/07/0508bravesminority.html

Braves meet with Rainbow/PUSH officials

By CARROLL ROGERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 05/07/07

Upset over the lack of African-Americans on the Braves roster, members
of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow-PUSH Coalition asked for a meeting with
team officials. They got one Monday.

Joe Beasley, Southern Regional Director for the Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition, said he and Dexter Clinkscale, the director of sports for
the organization, met Monday morning for nearly two hours with Braves
general manager John Schuerholz, assistant general manager Frank Wren
and three other Braves officials.

"The team slipped ... down to [no African-Americans]; it wasn?t
something that just happened," Beasley said Monday afternoon. "I think
it was a lack of diligence on the part of the Braves to recruit
African-American players. There's not diminished enthusiasm for
African-Americans playing baseball. It's simply the opportunity hasn't
presented itself."

Schuerholz acknowledged the meeting Monday but declined further
comment, saying in a statement: "We had a meeting with Mr. Beasley and
another member of his organization this morning and discussed a
variety of topics."

Less than 10 percent of major league players are African-Americans. In
a recent interview on the subject, Schuerholz said: "You go to where
the talent leads you. Finding major league-caliber baseball players is
far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to
demographics."

Countered Beasley, "As I expected, [Schuerholz?s] idea is the bottom
line: I'll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from
on the field, and that's fair. But the fact of the matter is if they
put resources into recruiting here in the United States, and more
specifically here in Atlanta, there are talented players here."

The issue was brought to the attention of the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition
during the 60th anniversary celebration of Jackie Robinson breaking
the color barrier. The Braves and Houston Astros did not have any
African-American players on their 25-man rosters at the time. The
Braves' total grew with the promotion of left fielder Willie Harris,
who is from Robinson?s hometown of Cairo.

"You slipped down to nothing, now you've got one, we expect it to
start going up higher," Beasley said was the sentiment he voiced in
the meeting. "We want to see incrementally it move back up, rather
than moving down. There was an openness on [Schuerholz's] part to talk
and to be in dialogue and hopefully be in partnership in trying to
make sure that it happens. He was very nice, a gentleman. I'm going to
hold him to his word to work with us and move those numbers back up to
a respectable level."

From: Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Hayfever Edition � on 8 May 2007 21:48

"Rodney K." <rodneykerr(a)home.net> wrote in message
news:46412684.1040556531(a)news.easynews.com...
> http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/05/07/0508bravesminority.html
>
> Braves meet with Rainbow/PUSH officials
>
> By CARROLL ROGERS
> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
>
> Published on: 05/07/07
>
> Upset over the lack of African-Americans on the Braves roster, members
> of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow-PUSH Coalition asked for a meeting with
> team officials. They got one Monday.
>
> Joe Beasley, Southern Regional Director for the Rainbow/PUSH
> Coalition, said he and Dexter Clinkscale, the director of sports for
> the organization, met Monday morning for nearly two hours with Braves
> general manager John Schuerholz, assistant general manager Frank Wren
> and three other Braves officials.
>
> "The team slipped ... down to [no African-Americans]; it wasn?t
> something that just happened," Beasley said Monday afternoon. "I think
> it was a lack of diligence on the part of the Braves to recruit
> African-American players. There's not diminished enthusiasm for
> African-Americans playing baseball. It's simply the opportunity hasn't
> presented itself."
>
> Schuerholz acknowledged the meeting Monday but declined further
> comment, saying in a statement: "We had a meeting with Mr. Beasley and
> another member of his organization this morning and discussed a
> variety of topics."
>
> Less than 10 percent of major league players are African-Americans. In
> a recent interview on the subject, Schuerholz said: "You go to where
> the talent leads you. Finding major league-caliber baseball players is
> far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to
> demographics."
>
> Countered Beasley, "As I expected, [Schuerholz?s] idea is the bottom
> line: I'll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from
> on the field, and that's fair. But the fact of the matter is if they
> put resources into recruiting here in the United States, and more
> specifically here in Atlanta, there are talented players here."
>
> The issue was brought to the attention of the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition
> during the 60th anniversary celebration of Jackie Robinson breaking
> the color barrier. The Braves and Houston Astros did not have any
> African-American players on their 25-man rosters at the time. The
> Braves' total grew with the promotion of left fielder Willie Harris,
> who is from Robinson?s hometown of Cairo.
>
> "You slipped down to nothing, now you've got one, we expect it to
> start going up higher," Beasley said was the sentiment he voiced in
> the meeting. "We want to see incrementally it move back up, rather
> than moving down. There was an openness on [Schuerholz's] part to talk
> and to be in dialogue and hopefully be in partnership in trying to
> make sure that it happens. He was very nice, a gentleman. I'm going to
> hold him to his word to work with us and move those numbers back up to
> a respectable level."
>
>

Get Michael Vick to play 1B. Problem solved.

From: Olagiz on 8 May 2007 23:00

From: BR Eagle on 8 May 2007 23:17

"Rodney K." <rodneykerr(a)home.net> wrote in message
news:46412684.1040556531(a)news.easynews.com...
> http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/05/07/0508bravesminority.html
>
>
Schuerholz said: "You go to where
> the talent leads you. Finding major league-caliber baseball players is
> far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to
> demographics."
>
> Countered Beasley, "As I expected, [Schuerholz?s] idea is the bottom
> line: I'll put the best 40 men I can get wherever I can get them from
> on the field, and that's fair. "

What is wrong with either of these statements?

From: TimV on 8 May 2007 23:49

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