The Civil Rights Game is an annual Major League Baseball game (starting in 2007) that honors the history of civil rights in the United States and marked the unofficial end to the league's Spring Training. Starting in 2009, the game became a regular season game.

The first two games were held at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee. The intent of the game was to "embrace baseball's history of African-American players," as well as to generate interest for future black players, after a demographics survey revealed that the percentage of black players in the league has dwindled over the past twelve years to just 8.4 percent.^[1] The survey, ironically, also gave the diversity of players in Major League Baseball an A+ grade. While many were focusing on the drop in African-Americans in the sport since 1996 from 17 percent to 8 percent, it was noted that the percentage of Hispanic players increased during that period from 20 percent to 29 percent, and Asian and other minorities increased from 1 percent to 3 percent. The percentage of Caucasian players actually went down from 62 percent to 60 percent during that period. ^[2]

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commented on air during the first Civil Rights game that the 8 percent total for African-Americans was "a problem that needed to be looked at." Associated Press news releases related to the game focused on the drop in African-Americans, and quoted former Cleveland pitcher CC Sabathia on the idea that baseball must do more to promote the game in inner cities, saying, "It's not just a problem — it's a crisis."^[1]

Contents 1 Results 2 Inaugural Game 2.1 Controversy 3 2008 Game 4 2009 Game 5 2010 Game 6 Notes 7 External links

[edit] Results

Year	Host City	Stadium	Team	Score	Team	Attendance
2007	Memphis, TN	AutoZone Park	St. Louis Cardinals	5-1	Cleveland Indians	12,815
2008	Memphis, TN	AutoZone Park	New York Mets	3-2	Chicago White Sox	7,717
2009	Cincinnati, OH	Great American Ball Park	Cincinnati Reds	8-10	Chicago White Sox	42,234
2010	Cincinnati, OH	Great American Ball Park	Cincinnati Reds		St. Louis Cardinals

[edit] Inaugural Game

The inaugural game was played on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 5:30 PM and was broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPNHD. It was announced by ESPN's #1 broadcast team of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, with Peter Gammons serving as a field analyst (his role during Sunday Night Baseball telecasts on ESPN). The game featured the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians. Both teams wore uniforms reminiscent of those worn in Negro League games, but sorely lacking in appearance compared to the old Negro League uniforms. The Cardinals won 5–1, receiving a solid five-inning start out of their 2006 closer Adam Wainwright, who got the win.

[edit] Controversy

Despite the good intentions of Major League Baseball in instituting the game, Commissioner Bud Selig has come under heavy fire from Native Americans who feel that the involvement of the Cleveland Indians was a slap in the face to the Cherokee people who still live in the Memphis area after the infamous Trail of Tears passed through less than 200 years ago. The New York Daily News called the situation a "primer on how to inadvertently stage an ironic insult to a local and large population of Natives" and insinuated that the league has (inadvertently) sabotaged the game by inviting the Indians.^[3] The sports blog Deadspin asked the question "If the Indians win, do Native Americans get civil rights?"^[4]

The circumstances were also partially responsible for reenergizing the debate over the controversial Indians logo, which features a caricature of an Indian chief with bright red skin and perpetuates Native American stereotypes.

[edit] 2008 Game

On December 3, 2007, league officials announced details for the second annual game. It was played on March 29, 2008. The New York Mets beat the Chicago White Sox 3–2. Martin Luther King III threw out the first pitch.

[edit] 2009 Game

On June 20, 2009, the Civil Rights Game was played for the first time as part of the regular season schedule. The game took place at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio between the host Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox defeated the Reds, 10–8. For this game, the teams wore replicas of their 1965 uniforms. The contest was broadcast on MLB Network except in the home markets of the two teams that played in the game, Cincinnati (FSN Ohio) and Chicago (CSN Chicago).^[5]

[edit] 2010 Game

It was announced by MLB Executive Vice President Jimmie Lee Solomon during the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Showcase game on MLB Network November 7, 2009 that the Reds will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2010 game on May 15th.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Only 8.4 Percent of MLB Players Black
2. ^ Major League Baseball
3. ^ Bud sends Indians & insulting message to Rights Game - Sports - NY Daily News
4. ^ Mlb: If The Indians Win, Do Native Americans Get Civil Rights?
5. ^ Baseball says Civil Rights Game will move to Cincinnati for 2009

[edit] External links

• The official MLB page for the game.
• Announcement of the game.