Study finds from 2010-19 MLB managers of Color decreased, White managers increased
TEMPE, Ariz. (October 5, 2021) – Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University has released its latest research study, Field Studies: MLB Manager Hiring Criteria and Career Pathways from 2010-19. The paired Global Sport Matters’ digital issue, Rediscovering America’s Pastime will be released Oct. 6. The field study examines MLB manager hiring and firing trends over the past decade, while the issue takes a deeper look into surrounding baseball topics that include disparity in youth access, women’s baseball around the world, interviews with Bud Selig, Reggie Jackson and more.
“Expanding our collection of Field Studies into baseball adds yet another layer of understanding of how we move towards racial equity in sport.” said Kenneth L. Shropshire, CEO of the Global Sport Institute. “One interesting insight we found is that baseball does bring an international element into the pipeline that we haven’t seen in other sectors. Yet, the numbers still show disparity at the top. Baseball has been idling at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, so we’re following along to see how that plays out on the leadership front.”
More discussion will occur at the GSM Live event on Oct. 15, Looking Forward - A Renaissance for American Baseball.
Below are the key findings from the field study. The full report is publicly available on the Global Sport Institute’s online research library. The Global Sport Matters issue also features an interactive data visualization of the findings.
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Between the 2010 and 2019 seasons, 63 managerial changes occurred across Major League Baseball.
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Within the ten-season window, the overall number and percentage of managers of Color decreased, while the number and percentage of White managers increased.
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Within specific racial/ethnic minority groups, African Americans saw the greatest decrease, while Puerto Ricans saw the only increase of more than one manager.
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The position of catcher did not provide a pathway for managers of Color to the same degree as it did for White managers.
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While pitching represents a narrow pathway for managers overall, it has been closed to managers of Color.
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At the time of analysis, approximately 45% of catchers active in MLB were people of Color, a percentage that suggests a potential future pipeline for aspiring managers of Color.
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About Global Sport Institute
The Global Sport Institute is where diverse disciplines converge to thoughtfully examine critical issues impacting sport. As a cross-disciplinary enterprise, the institute's efforts are integrated throughout the entire university rather than within a single concentration. With an emphasis on expanding research, sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and advancing education, the institute’s mission is to use sport to create positive change throughout the world.
About Global Sport Matters
Global Sport Matters is the Institute’s purpose driven publication that provides a platform for in-depth insights on a diverse range of sports topics. The site aims to share knowledge through a variety of content that resonates with a broad audience, and highlights sport’s ties with research, culture, history, science, technology, business, politics, health, the humanities, and more.