New York Yankees legend and newly elected Hall of Famer Derek Jeter thinks “instant gratification” is a reason we don’t see a lot of Black baseball players. 

“I think, you know, the younger generation — and let me finish before anyone judges me,” Jeter remarked. “I think you’re into instant gratification.”

The lack of Black baseball players has been a topic of discussion around major league baseball for quite some time. Given the proliferation of Black players in the NBA and NFL, it is strange to some that baseball doesn’t have more representation.

“If you see a player playing college basketball, the next year they’re in the NBA.” Jeter explained.

That’s not the same in baseball. 

“You see someone playing college baseball they disappear for three years,” referring to the arduous process of minor league baseball. “So, I think kids nowadays, they want to go towards, not the easier route, but the fastest route.”

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Jeter may have a point here. But something else worth considering are the economic barriers in baseball at the youth level. Specialized coaching and skills training cost a lot of money. If you just compare it to basketball, a player can work on his skills on his own and improve. The same can’t be said for baseball. 

Not to mention at the collegiate level, the number of baseball scholarships pale in comparison to football. 

Jeter said Major League Baseball has gotten more inner-city kids to play the game, but conceded, “we need to do a much better job at that.”

Another factor worth noting is baseball’s not-so-secret racial problem. The influx of Latino players, who, in many “unofficial” censuses, would be categorized as Black, often come into conflict with white teammates and managers. 

Young athletes are mindful of these things.