Mariners open program to help students of color as MLB commemorates Negro Leagues anniversary
As Major League Baseball commemorated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues, Mariners rookie left-hander Justus Sheffield noted the significance of his start Sunday against the Astros.
He worked six quality innings for Seattle, his second such outing in the past week, and is starting to see his work result in consistent production.
But, for Sheffield, the chance to start Sunday meant so much more than his final pitching line.
“It’s one of those things where you kind of step back and recognize why you’re even out there playing the game,” he said. “For us to be able to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Negro League is huge and amazing. There’s not many of us out there, pitchers especially, so to be able to get a start on this day meant a lot.”
Players, managers, coaches and umpires across MLB wore patches on their uniforms to honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues, and those who played the game before them.
For the Mariners, the day also marked a continuation of their commitment to inclusion and racial equity in the sport.
In June, among the protests and demonstrations across the nation that followed the police killing of George Floyd, four Mariners players sat down with broadcaster Dave Sims for a candid conversation about their experiences as Black men in life and in baseball.
The “Black Voices in Baseball” panel premiered on Juneteenth, and remains available on the Mariners’ YouTube channel.
In the weeks since, the Mariners and MLB have continued to emphasize the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Mariners players have continued to speak out about racial inequality on the field and off, and the need for progress.
“I’m really thankful for the fact that we’ve been able to express this in a way that I don’t think has been expressed before, and able to come together in a way that I haven’t seen before,” Mariners rookie outfielder Kyle Lewis said during summer camp. “I’m really starting to see a movement that has been unprecedented. We have a big opportunity and I just want to be a part of that and help that continue to move forward as we continue to try to come together and fight for social justice, as well as the team to give love to one another.”
Mariners manager Scott Servais noted pregame Sunday the importance of continuously encouraging players to speak up about their experiences.
“It’s good organizationally for us to promote those guys and give them a voice and a platform to speak up,” he said.
Sunday, the Mariners opened applications for their On BASE Hometown Nine program, which was announced last month, and created with the input of players to uplift young student athletes of color in the community.
“The Mariners commitment to improving the youth baseball and softball landscape requires taking action to combat the systemic inequities that contribute to the growing inaccessibility of youth sports,” the club’s website says. “The Mariners and Mariners Care strive to reflect social justice and inclusion in all our youth baseball and softball programs through the On BASE initiative.”
Each year, the Mariners will accept nine incoming eighth-graders from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and provide them with financial, professional and social support in their baseball or softball careers and in the classroom.
The program is a five-year commitment to student athletes who want to play baseball or softball up through their senior years of high school, with the Mariners covering fees for travel, training and equipment, and Mariners players and front office staff offering mentorship to help the young athletes on the field and off.
The program “aims to create a pipeline of diverse players by addressing a major barrier to elite play — the high cost associated with select baseball,” the club’s announcement of the program from July says. “By underwriting these costs, the Mariners hope to close the ‘play gap,’ diversify high school, collegiate and professional baseball and introduce youth to positive career mentors.”
A full list of program eligibility requirements is available on the Mariners’ website.
Applications must be submitted by Sept. 7, and finalists will be selected and notified by Sept. 16.
This story was originally published August 16, 2020 at 5:54 PM.
