Jo Adell, the No. 1 prospect in the Angels farm system and sixth overall according to MLB.com, shared some enlightening thoughts on his experiences as an African American in baseball. Adell, a Kentucky native who starred at the University of Louisville prior to joining Los Angeles as the No. 10 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, has experienced racism in each of its various forms ranging from overt prejudice (fans heckled him for his race during a minor-league game in Birmingham) to more subtle slights including the “coded” language preferred by major-league scouts.
“Do you know how many times I was described as being a ‘raw and toolsy’ player?” Adell asked as transcribed by Jerry Bembry of The Undefeated. “Why are these words always used to describe black players, but never are we described as having a ‘high baseball IQ,’ an ‘advanced approach’ or ‘being low-risk’?” While Adell wasn’t a fan of how he was characterized by scouts throughout high school and college, the criticism he received was still less patronizing than scouting reports on Cam Newton, who was portrayed as “selfish” and “disingenuous” coming out of Auburn in 2011.
Adell recalls a local convenience store he frequented during high school. He and other black students weren’t allowed to bring their backpacks inside the store for fear of being robbed. “I had committed no crime ever in that store or any store, but the color of my skin and the friends that joined me screamed ‘high-risk’ to him,” said Adell, who hit .280 with two doubles, a stolen base and two RBI over 25 Cactus League at-bats before COVID-19 put a stop to spring training in March.
On one occasion, the center-field prospect dated a girl for a year before she told her parents. Once they found out she was in an interracial relationship, that was it. “I told her if she felt her family couldn’t accept the fact I was black, then we were done. That relationship and friendship ended right there,” said Adell. “That’s when I really knew that it never mattered who I was as a person. It never mattered how well I treated her. The only thing that mattered was the color of my skin, black, and that was always going to be a problem for them.”
Adell credited stadium attendants in Birmingham for working quickly to defuse the situation when a pair of hecklers called him a “black piece of s—t” (both were promptly ejected), but the 21-year-old was still taken aback at the lack of response from other fans. “The most disappointing part was not what was said by the two guys, but the fact that everyone in the stands sat around and did not say a word,” said Adell. “There were kids there, and no one said anything. Silence condones racism.”
While Adell has faced more challenges than most on his journey to the big leagues, the star prospect has been encouraged by the increased prevalence of Black Lives Matter and other movements aimed at combatting racism and social inequality. “I’m glad that young black people—and young people of all races—are beginning to realize that their voices have power. And I’m glad to see that some people who don’t live in our world—white people in positions of power—are beginning to open their eyes and ears and listen to what our people have been telling them what’s been happening to them for so long.”
The up-and-coming outfielder should have a chance to crack the big leagues this summer, particularly if teams move forward with expanded rosters, as many expect will be the case.
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