[BMW]

By making a point to say that Baseball has failed the Blacks is going against everything that Jackie Robinson stood for, or what he should have stood for, what Martin Luther King later fought for. Baseball was a white person's game, and they didn't allow anyone else in. Jackie Robinson changed that, and Baseball became a game for everyone to play together. I think this is a classic case of reverse racism by people to point at the other minorities that aren't African American and say them playing the game isn't what Jackie playing was about. To think that Jackie's effort has been wasted is saying that Jackie Robinson didn't want equality for all men, he wanted equality for all African Americans. The game is more diverse today than it has ever been in history and everyone can thank Jackie for being the first one through the door. Personally I couldn't imagine what baseball would have been like if I never would have gotten to see Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson lead the Mariners in the mid-90s. What about today's Yankees with Jeter, ARod, Posada, Matsui, Igawa, Rivera, Abreu, Cano...the list is ridiculous. The Mets, man EVERY team, it's unreal to think of what we would be missing out on right now...anyone that thinks this is an issue in baseball is lost in a bunch of trees wondering why they can't find the forest.

And Torii Hunter couldn't be farther from right. If we are only going to allow certain players to wear the number, who choses that? I believe Ken Griffey Jr was the first to request to wear it a couple of years ago, so no one else should be allowed to do it in remembrance. I mean we don't want to overcelebrate someone, that would be a disgrace? Or if we decide that one guy from every team can wear it, who decides which guy gets it? I think it is absurd to tell ANYONE that they aren't allowed to wear the number 42 in celebration of a great man because there are already too many people also celebrating it. If Torii Hunter doesn't like that so many people are wearing the number, maybe he shouldn't wear it, you know so we don't overcelebrate. In fact on July 4th this year, when we celebrate America's freedom, maybe less people should put their flags out, or less people should wear red, white and blue. It's like everyone is doing it to be cool, when it's supposed to be about a tribute to the work our fore fathers brought upon us, and it loses it's meaning if everyone does it.