PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Phillies legend Jimmy Rollins is hoping to inspire more young Black baseball players, as he leads a team in Friday’s HBCU Swingman Classic.
The Classic showcases players from historically Black colleges and universities, and kicks off five days of Major League Baseball’s All-Star activities in Philadelphia.
Rollins, a Wall of Famer, is managing one of the HBCU squads against a team led by former Brewers infielder Rickie Weeks.
As of opening day this year, only 6.8% of big-league baseball players were Black.
“Part of it is, in my opinion, marketing,” Rollins told KYW Newsradio. “The game’s expensive and the game’s not marketed the same way the other games are played. Basketball, it’s in your face. We get to see the guys. It feels attainable. Football’s the same way.”
Rollins said the key to more diversity is marketing the game to younger players.
“I love baseball, but what happens is, you get to high school, and no one’s coming to baseball games. They’re going to basketball and football games,” he said. “If we can find a way to keep the kids involved from about the ages of 12 to 14, we can keep those athletes on the field.”
Lincoln University lefty Solomon McKinney, one of 50 HBCU ballplayers who earned a spot at the Swingman Classic, said the game is necessary to spotlight Black players.
“It don’t always show — that the sport loves African-Americans,” he explained. “But to show that those big-leaguers are supporting our dreams, trying to get us better, that just shows how much support we’ve got.”
Philly native and Roman Catholic grad Santino Harwood, now a shortstop at Delaware State University, is excited to learn from experienced big-league players like Rollins — a fellow shortstop.
“My coach is going to be an MLB player, I can just ask him anything I want,” Harwood said. “I’m just going to be all ears throughout the whole game.”
Rollins said he's excited to meet the young players and is eager to answer any questions they may have. He believes that the HBCU Swingman Classic is one way to expose baseball to the next generation.
"Hopefully, Black kids are starting to see what's happening in the game and become inspired," Rollins said.
"If we can keep those kids interested in baseball through marketing and showing that baseball's still a beautiful game and showing that there are still Black players in the game, then it becomes attainable. Hopefully we can get them to come back."
Friday’s game will showcase players from historically Black colleges and universities, and kicks off five days of MLB All-Star activities in Philadelphia.
Friday’s game will showcase players from historically Black colleges and universities, and kicks off five days of MLB All-Star activities in Philadelphia.
