Black Sports Sociologist Edwards to Guide Baseball’s Affirmative Action Program

Harry Edwards, a black sports sociologist, will be part of an effort by baseball to find jobs in the sport for black and Latino former players, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth said today.

Ueberroth said Edwards will be involved in a project to identify minority members who have the potential to have new careers in baseball but were not outstanding players.

“There are several hundred of those guys out there who could get back into baseball,” Ueberroth said.

The commissioner did not identify the types of jobs the project would be concerned with, but Edwards said from his home in Berkeley, Calif., that he will attempt to establish a job bank of women and members of racial and ethnic minorities for baseball front offices.

Ueberroth said Edwards will remain at the University of California, where he is an associate professor.

Ueberroth, interviewed after addressing the Associated Press sports editors convention, said Edwards’ task will include identifying former players for the job pool.

“Where are they? Who are they? Have they been given a chance? Can they be trained?” said Ueberroth. “That’s the general direction we’re going.”

“Harry’s good at it. He’s effective; he’s done it before.”

The New York Times said today that Edwards, 44, would be would be named a special assistant to the commissioner. The commissioner said his office and Edwards had no formal agreement yet, “but we but hope to have one.”

Edwards is perhaps best known for his role in organizing a campaign to have black American athletes boycott the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. It was at those Games that 200-meter medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos staged their “closed-fist salute” on the victory stand during the playing of the national anthem and were consequently banned from the U.S. Olympic team.

Edwards told the New York Times that he has been working with Ueberroth behind the scenes since former Dodgers Vice President Al Campanis said blacks might not have “some of the necessities” to be managers and general managers. Campanis was fired a few days after making the remark on national television.