NECESSITIES : Racial Barriers in American Sports

Traces the patterns of racial inclusion and exclusion in American athletics today and discusses how these disturbing patterns are connected with money

Dodger executive Al Campanis once remarked on TV that blacks "do not have the 'necessities' to be a field manager or a general manager." Hoose ( Hoosiers ) argues that many whites concur but lack the courage to say so--and claims that their opinion serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy, since the white establishment continues to keep blacks out of power. In the course of this hard-hitting survey, Hoose examines the scarcity of black quarterbacks in pro football (a situation gradually improving) and of black catchers in baseball (one gradually worsening); the paucity of blacks in the sports media; and, perhaps most arresting, the unfortunate saga of a black-owned baseball team in 1986 that had to be sold to whites after one year. Apart from an only tangentially relevant chapter on Latin American baseball players, this is a telling indictment of American racism.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The fallout from a remark by a former Los Angeles Dodgers' official on national TV that blacks "may not have some of the necessities" to advance in sports continues with this broadside against the establishment. The author considers the comment indicative of the feelings throughout the industry--from the playing field, to the press box, to the owner's suite. Through interviews with coaches, players, and journalists, he points to numerous examples of racial injustice, reserving his harshest barb for some prominent network announcers who promote stereotypical viewpoints. He charges that the biases also exist for other minorities, citing the inferior treatment given to Latin ballplayers. This work pulls no punches and is likely to generate added controversy.
- Willian H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty . P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.