Do Dodgers See Black, White or Blue?

Here we go again. Time to blame the big, bad, white boogeyman. Apparently, the Dodgers are not meeting their quota of black players [“50 Years, Still Fears,” April 15].

Bob Nightengale reminds us that the Dodgers are down to one black player. So what? The Lakers have only one white player. Where’s the hue and cry over this inequity?

Eric Davis, Stubbs, Ken Howell, Chris Gwynn, Shelby, Joshua, DeShields. Doesn’t talent count for anything? Strawberry and Stewart? Now there are a couple of model citizens. Certainly the Dodgers or any sports franchise have a right to trade or release players if they don’t produce.

Can we please stop the whining and pandering and blaming and show some common sense?

LARRY CRAWFORD

Moreno Valley

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In the midst of the Jackie Robinson celebration, Gary Sheffield has proclaimed that racism in baseball is worse than ever. Since Sheffield is currently baseball’s highest-paid player, perhaps this form of racism is one that Mr. Robinson would have approved. And perhaps it was racism and not inability to hit the curveball that drove Michael Jordan back to basketball.

PAUL BERGMAN

Los Angeles

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There is perhaps no other professional sporting team that has been more responsible for involving minorities than the Dodgers. They, like all other teams, want to win. Their goal is to win the World Series, and I think they would do it with nine Martians if they thought it would work.

BILL STAMPS

Cerritos

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The Dodgers have no obligation to ensure that a certain number of their players are “American” blacks. Their obligation is only to find the best talent regardless of skin color, and that’s exactly what they have done, bringing through the ranks American players of all colors and players from Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

Once again, irresponsible and unfounded allegations of racism in Los Angeles will further serve to divide this city. This time it comes on a day that should have been reserved for honoring the achievements of Jackie Robinson, a man who wished to be judged not by the color of his skin, but by his ability as a ballplayer.

JAMES BRESLO

Hermosa Beach

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While your article on the current state of blacks in baseball made some effective points, I fail to see the crime in a racially integrated Dodger lineup that only features a few African Americans. Isn’t the point to field the best possible lineup at any given time, regardless of skin tone or culture? Should Peter O’Malley trade Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo and Ismael Valdes for some mediocre black pitchers, sacrificing the good of the team, just to satisfy some sort of quota?

As with entertainment and other forms of culture, sports should be completely colorblind. A great player is a great player, regardless of his race. And to imply that there is some sort of conspiracy going on at Chavez Ravine simply because our solid 1997 team isn’t dark enough--favoring Latins over blacks--is a joke.

JONATHAN WIDRAN

Encino

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I am disappointed to see the attention being brought to the fact that Wayne Kirby is the last African American player on the team. Meaning what? If Chad Fonville had been hitting his weight, which isn’t much, he might still have a roster position.

It is the continued focus on race as a dividing factor and the discovery of racism where it does not actually exist (see Delino DeShields, George Hendrick) that makes the healing process more difficult than necessary.

ANDRE AUSCHRINN

Long Beach

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Former Dodger Lou Johnson informs us that black baseball fans are “no fools. They can see that these guys [current Dodgers] aren’t black. They may be Dominican or Puerto Rican or Japanese or whatever, but they’re not black.”

Interesting. I guess I may have been “fooling” myself all along by rooting for Mike Piazza. After all, he may be Italian or whatever, but he’s not really white.

I find Mr. Johnson’s remarks distasteful, as they would have been in Jackie Robinson’s time, or any time.

BRIAN GREENE

Palos Verdes

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Would the L.A. Times ever write that the Lakers are down to one Irish-American player?

NILES SAGER

Burbank

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I was surprised to see all the letters last Saturday blaming the firing of Al Campanis on Ted Koppel, Peter O’Malley, anyone except Al Campanis.

Will there be articles excusing Marge Schott a decade from now?

D.B. STERN

Los Angeles