It's hard to play baseball. It's a bit harder to live up to the hype. Hunter Greene seems to be up to the task so far. He plays in a league that isn't good. A day after Major League Baseball and the overwhelming majority of its fans, networks, and Americans pretended to care about the legacy of one of the few Black baseball players and pitchers, one of the few Black baseball players and pitchers is dead. As the nation was busy putting their jerseys back in the closet, little attention was being paid to the fact that the Cincinnati Reds fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second start of the young pitcher's career. Jacob deGrom held the previous record of 33 pitches that at least hit the 100 mph mark, but since pitch tracking started in 2008, no one has thrown that kind of heat in a game. After the game, which was played in L.A., not far from the Compton streets where he grew up, Greene said that it was a really, really fun time. Freddie gave me a tip of the cap, so that was cool. I was happy to be able to do that here. There isn't a guarantee on what Greene will do in the majors. He could end up being one of the greatest pitchers of his era, or just a mediocre journeyman. He's already made it, no matter what happens. Meet the possible first overall pick in the MLB draft. It was chilling! It has four different speeds, ten different heads for different body parts, and is very easy to use.
One major league official told SI that this is the kind of kid we desperately need, as it was noted that he started wearing Robinson's number 42 at age 6.
On the eve of the 75th anniversary of Robinson's birth, Greene said that the grace that he played with, everything on the field, and his teammate, was unbelievable. To be here as a Black player and a young man, to represent what he stood for, is important to let these kids know that they can do it.
You would think that a league that has a single digit percentage of Black players on opening day rosters would find a way to highlight players like Greene. The first African-American player on the opening day roster of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959 was not present this year.
Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts recently told the L.A. Times that African American ballplayers need to do better. Roberts is one of two black managers in the majors. It is getting really uncomfortable.
It feels like Major League Baseball would rather focus on international talents than the Black ones that made baseball what it is today. Many fans and executives in the league are focused on the feats of Seiya Suzuki who is slashing................... Both of them are outstanding talents that deserve recognition, but so do the others here in America.
This moment feels similar to what happened in 2020 when a young Black pitching prospect had a breakthrough moment that seemed to be ignored even though he struck out 10. In 2020 and 2021, McKenzie will appear in eight games and 25 games, respectively, and he has already appeared in a couple this season.
There is a stigma that there are no Black kids who want to play baseball. A lot of black kids like to play baseball. I just arrived from Atlanta. There are a lot of Black baseball players in Atlanta. As well as Chicago. The kids are outside. They need to be given the chance.
Black kids want to play baseball. Whether or not baseball wants them to play and flourish at the highest levels is a question. Kyler Murray turned down the sport after being the only athlete to be a Top 10 pick in the MLB and NFL drafts. If baseball doesn't do a better job showcasing the next Hunter Greene, then don't be surprised when Black athletes start picking up football helmets and basketballs instead of baseball bats.
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