'You get one shot. You know it’s your one shot,' former White Sox VP Ken Williams says of Black MLB execs

PHOENIX — It’s Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, with every player wearing No. 42, teams holding ceremonies, ballparks showing video tributes, and Major League Baseball reminding America that he helped spearhead the Civil Rights movement in 1947 with the integration of its sport.

Yet, here we are 78 years later, and the African-American player population on Opening Day rosters and injured lists this season is 6%. There are three Black managers. There is one Black general manager.

And, after all of the programs and initiatives designed to increase Black and minority representation in front offices, coaching staffs and on the playing field, Major League Baseball recently scrubbed references to diversity on its careers web page, while also erasing details on its Diversity Pipeline Program, adhering to President Donald Trump’s executive orders on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

It comes on the heels of the Department of Defense removing an article on Robinson’s military career on its website, only for it to be restored, claiming it was a mistake as part of broader anti-DEI efforts.

The fear now is that if Black representation in MLB is painfully low after their initiatives, what in the world will happen if there are cutbacks in its Diversity Pipeline Program leading to less minority representation among clubs?

“These owners have always had the right to do what they want to," says former 20-game winner Dave Stewart, one of only seven Black GMs in MLB history. “They just aren’t in the mood to hire Black males in high decision-making positions.

“I’m not sure how this could make things any worse.

“The numbers are pretty low already, bro."

Stewart, who was dismissed by the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2016 season, says he never got another call to interview for a GM vacancy. It’s no different for Ken Williams, who led the White Sox to the 2005 World Series championship, was dismissed in 2023, and has never been contacted for another front office position.

If you’re white, you can always get recycled, with Dave Dombrowski of the Philadelphia Phillies in charge of his fourth team. Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners is running the baseball department for a third different team. Ben Cherington of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chaim Bloom of the St. Louis Cardinals are on their second jobs after being fired from their first GM job with the Boston Red Sox.

“I knew that when I got that job," Williams said. “You get one shot. You know it’s your one shot. You better make the most of it."

MLB, with its Opening Day rosters consisting of 27.8% foreign-born players, and Black representation increasing for the first time since 2018 after being just 5.7% last season — the lowest since 1955 — has no plans to scrap its development programs and initiatives. They may have changed some of the titles, but the goal remains the same.

MLB officials say they can’t talk about it publicly, instead referring to commissioner Rob Manfred’s comments during spring training.

“Our values, particularly our values on diversity, remain unchanged, but another value that is pretty important to us is we always try to comply with what the law is,” Manfred said. “There seems to be an evolution going on here. We’re following that very carefully. Obviously, when things get a little more settled, we’ll examine each of our programs and make sure that while the values remain the same that we’re also consistent with what the law requires.”

Even with the fear of potential repercussions, there are those who wish MLB executives would speak out, just as Williams did in MLB meetings when he often was the only Black executive in the room as the White Sox’s executive vice president. Houston Astros GM Dana Brown is the game’s lone Black GM, and the only one hired since Stewart in 2014.

“I have never seen so many people afraid to talk about something that has gone so successfully," Williams tells USA TODAY Sports. “People listen to the Ivy League schools, the Stanfords, and what have you, for almost everything else in terms of the acumen and guidance and certainly their research. Those same schools will tell you that the organizations and companies that adapt these strategies have 30% gains economically, and their internal dealings with one another are better. Yet, it has somehow been turned upside down and weaponized that those same institutions have not been listened to.

“It’s a hell of a case study."

The success why MLB has no plans to shutter any of their programs and diminish their pursuit of making the game as diverse as possible.

“I don’t think in my conversations with people (in the Commissioner’s office) that there’s an interest in anything going away," Williams says, “with some of the things that have proven to further things along. In real time, there’s no evidence that is not happening."

MLB still will retain its RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) programs, the Hank Aaron Classic, the Andre Dawson Classic, the Dream Series, the Breakthrough Series, the Swingman Classic, and the Selig rule, requiring all teams to interview at least one minority candidate when hiring a front office executive or field manager.

“I can say this, if you look at the Commissioner’s Office itself, you can honestly say it has more color than it used to have 10 years ago," Stewart said. “Rob Manfred is practicing what he’s preaching. You walk in 10 years ago, and there were very few minorities. Now, it’s a different look, with minorities having meaningful positions.

“The problem is the industry as a whole has not taken the leadership and example of the commissioner and taken that into their own organization. That’s a shame."

The Players Alliance, which began in 2020 and has donated $41.7 million to underserved communities, says it will continue its role with a mission statement to “address baseball’s systemic barriers to equity & inclusion by creating pathways to opportunities on and off the field for an undeniable pipeline of Black talent."

“Regardless of what’s happening, the focus has remained the same," said Curtis Granderson, the Players Alliance board chairman. “We’re starting to see results. Players are getting signed. Schools are getting more equipment. Boys and girls are playing at a younger age. We need to help the areas in the biggest need, and who have the biggest challenges. Not just Black kids, but Asian, and Hispanic and White kids.

“This space, whether it has an organized title or an initiative, is still going to shine a light on the sport because it is such a big piece of us. There still are problems, this isn’t going to be fixed overnight, but our commitment remains the same."

MLB officials privately share the same sentiments. There are 17 Black players on Opening Day rosters who are alumni of their MLB Development Programs. The 2025 Spring Breakout rosters had 35 players who played for the development programs, the Hank Aaron Invitational, and other MLB-affiliated events.

While there are 13 teams who had no more than one Black player on their Opening Day roster — including two teams with no Black players — nine teams have at least three Black players. The Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Washington Nationals lead baseball with four African-Americans on their team. There was also a modest increase of Black pitchers to 16 and Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin is attempting to become the first everyday African-American catcher since Charles Johnson.

MLB is also encouraged that more Black players are on their way, with 18 additional players on 40-man rosters, 17 players ranked among MLB’s top 100 prospects, with 16 players projected to be selected among the top 100 picks in this year’s draft. A year ago, nine of the first 21 picks were Black.

“We try to do our part," Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams said. “I don’t really pay attention to the outside noise, but whatever I can do to help, I do it.

“We’ve got to keep it alive."

Certainly, it’s vital for MLB to assure that their programs and initiatives don’t go backwards. Even a small step back could lead to a virtual avalanche, wiping out everything baseball has strived to accomplish the last decade.

Williams, executive chairman and co-founder of the DEI Network and CLARA, believes that MLB will stand up for what’s right, no matter the landscape of the current administration. His company already has received a verbal commitment from MLB to utilize their tools to mitigate bias and level the playing field.

“I know some of the sentiment [in today’s political climate] starts to get deeper and more ingrained in people," Williams said, “and they believe there’s more justification to it.

“But, as we’ve found out, it takes years and years for progress to move forward.

“It only takes a short period of time for it go to backwards."

Read more at usatoday.com