Racial Crisis in MLB?

No jokes this time; this is serious business.

C.C. Sabathia said today that Major League Baseball needs more black players.

While it could be argued that there are lots of great black players in the big leagues -- Barry Bonds, Vernon Wells, Dontrelle Willis and Ryan Howard, to name a few -- I think it's worth considering his point in the grand scheme of things.

First of all, the article gives some statistical merit to what Sabathia has said. And if you think about it, there are a lot less black players in baseball than there are in basketball and football. Why?

I believe that it has to do with two closely linked factors: money and opportunity. Baseball and other sports like tennis and golf are dominated, and probably always will be, by those with money. Why? Because they are sports that require more skill than athleticism, and skill is developed with time and careful instruction. Therefore, as a general rule, if you follow the money you'll find the most skilled athletes in these sports, the ones that started when they were four and could afford a private hitting instructor.

The lack of black athletes in certain sports does not, in my opinion, have much to do with race at all. It has to do with money and opportunity.

If your counterarguments are Tiger Woods, James Blake and Barry Bonds, take a closer look. Those are black athletes that had the money and opportunity to hone great skill in their respective sports.

Yes, there may be an issue of a lack of black athletes in baseball. But the root of the problem is not racism. Period.