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MLB is seeing a slow improvement in diversity among its young players, despite a record low number of black major league players

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For most of Lee Allen Jr.’s childhood. baseball seemed quite distant to him.

The Major League Baseball Royals played in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, but Allen – who is black and lives downtown – did not have much opportunity to play baseball until late highschool.

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In January 2020, 17-year-old Allen was invited to 1 of MLB’s development programs, the DREAM Series, where he stood in front of scouts and coaches for the primary time to showcase his skills in a competitive environment.

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Termarr Johnson throws to first base throughout the sixth inning of a spring baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Four years later, Allen took the sector on the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, wearing the purple, white and gold baseball uniform representing historically black college Prairie View A&M University, together with his eyes set on a skilled profession.

More than 200 HBCU standouts were available for the MLB Andre Dawson Classic, a collegiate tournament for players who hope to sooner or later break through the major leagues and maybe help usher in the following generation of African-American stars.

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“The opportunity to be here and showcase my talents to scouts and other players that are looking at us at the next level,” said Allen, now a junior defenseman for the Panthers. “It feels great for me because I know these are goals I can achieve and they are there.”

That’s the goal of MLB, which has struggled with a historically low number of black players in the major leagues. A study by the Central Florida Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports found that African-American players made up just 6.2% of players on MLB Opening Day rosters in 2023, down from 7.2% in 2022. Both numbers were the bottom for the reason that study began in 2023 1991, when 18% of MLB players were black.

It’s also the bottom percentage of African-American participation among 4 of the five major skilled sports — the NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS — outside the National Hockey League, where greater than 90% of the players are white. MLB has tried to handle this problem through a series of grassroots diversity initiatives.

“We’re really doubling down on what we’ve done,” said Del Matthews, MLB’s vice chairman of baseball development, “because they’re raising kids who go to college and have internships in the sport. We’re seeing more kids playing in Division I college baseball leagues, and we’re seeing more kids getting called up to the minor leagues. So we just pass it on through the different programs we’ve had.”

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There are signs of progress on the skilled level. From 2012 to 2021, 17.4% of first-round picks were African-American players. That number increased to 30% in 2022, when 4 of the primary five players chosen were Black players for the primary time ever, and all 4 were graduates of not less than one MLB diversity initiative. In 2023, Black players made up 10 of the primary 50 draft picks, or 20%.

These gains haven’t yet increased MLB’s player base, and even in the minors, Black participation is growing slowly. When MLB recently announced its Spring Breakout rosters featuring top minor league prospects, 9.5% of players were Black – including 31 graduates of MLB’s diversity programs.

MLB’s activities begin with an annual tour of skilled camps in various cities across the country to discover baseball potential among inner-city kids. The route has grown annually – from 12 stops when it launched in 2018 to 18 cities now – and is aimed toward children aged roughly 13-14, just before they begin secondary school.

The goal is to eventually send these players to more advanced development programs where they’ll gain significant reps in competitive baseball – mostly for gratis – and develop relationships with skilled scouts and former major league players that may help them further in their careers .

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“Sports have become so expensive that they have eliminated many of our children,” said Jerry Manuel, former manager of the White Sox and Mets. “So we need to do everything we can to get them back into the pipeline.”

The shows are mostly funded by USA Baseball, the game’s governing body in the United States, which pays for equipment, meals and potential travel to shows that Matthews said would otherwise cost greater than $700 per event. Between 1,200 and 1,500 children are chosen annually to participate in MLB programs focused on diversity, including the DREAM Series, Breakthrough Series, Hank Aaron Invitational and girls’ baseball/softball events. Some players participate in several events a yr – a possibility that will otherwise not be possible for a lot of children from lower-income families.

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That’s why Sheila Moreno was grateful that her son Jadin was introduced to baseball through the Houston Astros’ free youth baseball league, one of greater than 180 organizations affiliated with MLB’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) outreach program to kids in the community about neglected needs.

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Moreno said Jadin desired to play skilled baseball abroad, but knowing how expensive the game may very well be, she was frightened the expenses would prevent him from launching his profession. When Moreno stumbled upon Houston’s RBI program, Jadin gained the contacts he needed to earn invites to other development shows. He is currently a junior goalie at Prairie View.

“He didn’t have to pay anything,” Moreno said last month on the Andre Dawson Classic, “in order that was very helpful. All he wanted was to play football. He was just searching for someone who would help him learn basic skills and put in the trouble.

The league reported that just about 700 graduates of its development programs have played college baseball, with about 90% of them being black players.

According to the NCAA’s demographic database, 752 Division I baseball players – about 6% – are black. That’s the best number in 10 years and reflects a small but regular increase that Tony Reagins, MLB’s director of baseball development, said indicates improvement is coming.

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Reagins added that the support of former black major league players like Manuel has been especially helpful in showing aspiring professionals what is possible.

One of the MLB prospects is Termarr Johnson, who selected baseball over basketball and football, sports he felt were more popular when he was growing up in Atlanta. He has been involved in almost every diversity initiative MLB has offered and has been exposed to mentors akin to Manuel, Ken Griffey Jr., Dave Winfield and Marquis Grissom – some of whom he can turn to for advice if he so desires.

Johnson was the fourth overall pick in the draft in 2022. Standing in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse before a recent major league spring training game, Johnson credited those programs for his growth on and off the sector.

“The biggest help was that they dealt with the mental element of being a big leaguer, a big leaguer,” Johnson said. “They tell me little things like, ‘Put your shirt on once you exit on the pitch.’ Make sure you run away from the sector. A scout sees it, people see it.

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Johnson has impressed to date with the second-ranked Pirates and began his own kids’ camp, hoping it might encourage more black kids to play the sport and keep on with it, similar to MLB programs did for him.

“I don’t know if I would be here right now if it wasn’t for this,” Johnson said.


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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Lifestyle

Tunde Oyeneyin Peloton about what to do when you don’t feel like moving

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“I wanted to run this morning, but I didn’t do it because my body said you didn’t need it,” explained a 39-year-old fitness star, adding that she did some mobility as a substitute on her foam roller.

“I worked. I felt my heart rate was growing. I felt a little sweat, but I poured love for my body, not burden my body just because the plan said that I should run this morning – she continued. “Listening to your body sometimes means deviating from the plan and you provide you with a brand new plan.”

Listening to your body just isn’t just about how you feel physically. Among the social, political and economic climate, finding motivation to move the body might be difficult.

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“I am the same as a person,” said Oyeneyin. “When I feel hard outside, I feel it in myself, in my heart, in my body. Sometimes the heaviness of the world shows in my body. “

When the world becomes overwhelming, the teacher said that he gives himself a grace.

“I do know that sometimes when the world feels heavy and feels dark, movement just isn’t what I need to do and permit myself. I devote just a few days I would like, after which I’m within the space where I can finally see and keep in mind that movement can be what leads me through a storm. Movement can be what gives me grace to see the sunshine on the opposite side – she noted.

Oyeneyin, who has been in Peloton for six years, is a strength on the earth of fitness. Powerhouse instructor and creator have experience as a star makeup, and once fought for doubt before she got here up with the movement. Her book “Speak: Find your voice, trust the intestines and go from the place where you are, where you want to be” Chronicle of her journey to confidence.

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“When I move, whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, I feel something in my body that I have never done before. There is lightness. The weight is metaphorically raised – she said.

On days when she is attached to the time or little motivation, she noticed that she would force herself to move for 10 minutes and suggests that others would try.

“99,99999% of time, I exceed 10 minutes” – added the creator. “The mind and body began to connect.”

Apart from that, Peloton applicationShe said, she is filled with motivation to move.

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“I don’t think there is something in the application that you will not take motivation,” said Oyeneyin, adding: “Are you a skier and you want to build strength, we have it in the application. If you are a golfer and want to strengthen the golf game, we have it in the application. If the world feels heavy and you need to reset and you need 10 or 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation, we have it in the application. “

For her, she said that mediation is coming running.

“Running is a spot where I find peace and consolation on the earth. There I can concentrate on my breath and training – she explained.

She continued: “And for many people whom I am lucky to follow me on the platform, they find their relief on a bike. So everyone is something for themselves, no matter who you are. “

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Movement and exercise can cost a small cost for some: their glam. Some allow the fear of sweating hair to stop them from harder during training.

“Although I don’t want to sweat, I also want my carved arms,” ​​said Oyeneyin.

“I’m in front of the camera. I work in front of a life camera. So I understand – continued the athlete Nike. “I try, I might like to look cute, but at the tip of the day, if you force me to select one between the opposite, I need to be strong. I can sweat and be sexy. “

Have you already abandoned your fitness goals in the new year? Peloton's instructor Adrian Williams has some tips

(Tagstotransate) lifestyle

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Brigette Romanek debuts the “glamous” collection in Crate & Barrel

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The well-known interior designer Brigette Romanek introduces her first collection with Crate & Barrel-54-part line that mixes glamor and ease, bringing a classy, but relaxed touch of a beloved house seller.

After presenting your knowledge about interior design with stars clients, similar to Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kelly Rowland, Crate & Barrel, Romanek tapped to create a collection that embodies her characteristic funny aesthetics inspired by California.

“We are all so busy in our daily lives that thanks to my approach to design, I want people to stop and breathe when entering any room,” Romanek he said . “Working, Crate & Barrel and I both shared a true passion to encourage beautiful moments through the design, and everything, from furniture to decorations in this collection, are aimed at supporting this calming lifestyle.”

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Celebrated for easily combining aesthetics with functionality, the CRATE & Barrel Romanek collection is rooted in a timeless design with visually nice surprises and thoroughly created to make sure peace and flexibility in any space. Her knowledge about mixing various materials shines in wealthy layers of travertine, historic brass and bleached forests.

“The process of cooperation with Brigette was so inspiring and we had the honor to bring her a unique vision, bold creativity and artistically selected style for our clients,” said Sebastian Brauer, senior vp of CRATE & Barrel. “This collection seems effective and relaxed, combining modern, clean lines with natural and luxurious materials.”

Chest and barrel expressed His emotions during the announcement of the collection on Instagram on February 20.

“Confession: We have been keeping it secret for a year, and today! 🎉 @brigetteromaniac X @Crateandbarrel The collection is here! “The seller signed his position.

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“This is not your average cooperation. Think brave and vibey – just like the amazing designer star herself. We love how it is about abandoning the rules of designing and creating a house that seems to be super personal: “Returning home should feel like a breath. Like entering your individual sanctuary. “

From plush chocolate velvet sofas at a price from 2499 to USD 2,899 to Oak Wood Credenzas (1999 USD) and chest of drawers (2,699 USD), Brigette Romanek for the CRATE & Barrel collection adds luxury to each space. Store Collection in Crate & Barrel, while the supplies are last.

(Tagstotransate) Brigette Romanek

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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“Rhop” stars react to the judgment of Karen Huger, because the series announces that it plans to continue without a star

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“The Real Housewives of Potomac” will last without “Great Dame”, Karen Huger. After Huger was sentenced to a yr in prison for the fourth conviction of Dui, the sources reported People magazine That Bravo plans to go forward with the production of the tenth season of the series in the absence of the star. Bravo didn’t confirm or deny the reports.

“This is very terrifying, but I accept full responsibility for everything that happened with my car accident,” apparently Huger said after the sentences. “No, I’m not an alcoholic, let’s be clear.”

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Just as fans reacted to social media messages, some of the solid members publicly spoke publicly about their reactions at the end of Huger’s legal saga.

“My jaw has fallen,” said Wendy Osefo People magazine. “I couldn’t believe it. At the end of the day we can have our differences, but I always wish it well and I just keep her in prayer, 100%. “

Similarly, Ashley Darby recalls crying “like a child” when she discovered before her Exposing yourself at the Tamron Hall show.

“I really encourage everyone to keep Karen in your prayers,” said Hall. “I really care.”

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For Gizelle Bryant, who began her profession Real Housewives in Huger in 2016, the legal “Grand Dame” fights caused a lot of emotions. After breaking away from the video from Huger during the Rhop congress, Bryant shared her response to the most legal verdict of the star during her “Gizelle 21 questions live” on Wednesday.

“It happened today. I do not have her wig. I’m nervous – she joked US weekly. “I’m shocked … I’m seriously nervous about her safety. Karen shouldn’t be cut into prison, she added. “I pray that she is fine and that the Lord is with her.”

Although Bravo has not confirmed or denied whether or not they would filmate Rhop without Huger, each Omefo and Bryant seem open to the possibility of continuing her absence.

“In this group we found a way to move with her presence and without her presence,” said Osefo. “Looking at the congress, I think that we maneuver in a positive way as an individual as an individual. I wish her all the best, but I think that the Potomac brand is still strong. “

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Karen Huger skipped Rhop season 9 rehabilitation exit

(Tagstranslate) Real Housewives of Potomac

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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