Race to the Bottom

BrooklynDodger muses that any apparent association between improved performance in some polygenic realm and attribution of a racial identity is charged mainly because it supports a notion that "intelligence" could also be associated with racial identity. Lesser "intelligence" among Americans called "black" would justify lower economic status and other indicia of impression as results of functioning a natural law rather than conscious impression.

So, presence of a larger proportion of persons called "black" in competitive basketball, football and track carries the concern that policy makers, voters, will conclude this supports racial theories of reduced cognitive functioning.

Absence of persons called black from swimming, tennis, skiing, golf, etc, is attributed to class and discrimination barriers.

So, what's up with baseball? The Dodger notes that at 10% "black" participation in the sport, there is a 7% chance that a roster of 25 would have no "black" players, therefore suggsting that among the 40 major league baseball teams there would be a few with no "black" players.

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Astros roster has no black players
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By Ben Walker, AP Baseball Writer October 25, 2005
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The Astros are the first World Series team in more than a half-century with a roster that doesn't include a single black player.

"Of course I noticed it. How could you not?" Morgan said while the Astros took batting practice before the opener in Chicago. "But they're not the only ones. There are two or three teams that didn't have any African-American players this year."
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The last World Series team without a black player was the 1953 New York Yankees. It wasn't until 1955 -- eight years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 -- that Elston Howard became the first black in Yankee pinstripes.

Black players accounted for just about 9 percent of big league rosters this season....
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The most recent survey by the NCAA, taken during the 2003-04 season, showed that only 6 percent of Division I baseball players were black. Half of the men's basketball players were black, as were 44 percent of football players.
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Williams is the only black general manager in the majors. A former big league outfielder, he joined the White Sox in 1992 as a scout, confident he could find players in the inner cities. After a year of trying, Williams felt as if he'd failed.