www.baseballyarn.com   Seven Years After Jackie
1947-1953
What's the Outlook?

a baseballyarn detailed study 		  www.baseballyarn.com
Influences

  • Idealism
  • Profit
  • Improvement
  • Create Stars
    		• As of October 1953. . .

  • Integration is no sure thing
  • To some it seems downright iffy
  • Five teams use black players regularly
  • Two teams have started to use black players
  • How long will the other teams hold out?
    		• Motivations

  • Idealism
  • Profit
  • Improvement
  • Create Stars
  • The integration of baseball is viewed as a civil rights matter today, but economics played a major role
  • Attendance skyrocketed after WW2, then immediately declined after television swept America
  • The decision to add a black player was based on attendance worries as much as anything else
  • In two-team towns, the team with lower attendance had nothing to lose by adding a black player
  • The attendance leader stayed pat-- why risk losing fans by adding a black player?
    • Teams Using Black Players, 1947-1953 Teams Not Using Black Players, 1947-1953
    Team Attendance Situation Team Attendance Situation
  • Dodgers
  • Indians
  • Browns
  • Giants
  • Braves
  • White Sox (1951)
  • Athletics
  • Cubs (1953)
  • Outdrawn by Yankees
  • Only team in city
  • Outdrawn by Cardinals
  • Outdrawn by Yanks/Dodgers
  • Outdrawn by Red Sox
  • Outdrawn by Cubs
  • Outdrawn by Phillies
  • Outdrawn by White Sox
  • Pirates
  • Cardinals
  • Reds
  • Senators
  • Yankees
  • Phillies
  • Tigers
  • Red Sox
  • Only team in city
  • Attendance leader in city
  • Only team in city
  • Only team in city
  • Attendance leader in city
  • Attendance leader in city
  • Only team in city
  • Attendance leader in city
    • Changes to Date
  • Declining loyalty to status quo "unwritten agreement"
  • Greater acceptance of honoring rights of black players
  • Diminishing fear of losing white fans
  • Negro Leagues in a downworld spiral
    • Trends
  • Teams now trading for black players to plug
        gaps & fill specific needs of team
  • Teams without black players on big league team
        are signing them up & developing them in minors
    • Teams make money by building teams that win and feature big stars that draw fans to the ballpark
  • After 1954 season, the goal of every club in baseball will be to:
    FIND ANOTHER WILLIE MAYS!!!
    • Previous screen 1954 Results Overview & Menu Features