I found this surprising; MLB rosters are made up of only 8.05% Black players. I always figured it was higher, and I was right in years past. This year marks the lowest percent since the integration era began in 1959, when it was 17.25%. Obviously the game has changed over the years, with a recent influx of Domincan and Japanese players, among others. Are they becoming less interested in the game (even last year it was only 8.5%) or are players of other origins becoming more prevalent? I'm sure the percent of white players has dipped in recent years, too; they won't be a minority in the league anytime soon however.
Part of the reason this comes off surprising to me is probably because I've always been a Phillies fan. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard have been a staple of their lineup for quite a few years now, and with John Mayberry, Jr. coming up the Phils will continue to have Black players on their roster above the 8%.
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