Robinson’s Daughter Has Some Ideas

As baseball works to combat the decline in African American interest and involvement in the sport by sponsoring inner-city youth leagues and mandating interviews of minority candidates for executive positions, Jackie Robinson’s daughter, Sharon, suggests major league officials might best advance their cause by recruiting and approving a black owner. With one of their own in power, blacks might find a helping hand in an industry often criticized for hiring among friends.

“With black mayors, there’s a greater sensitivity, certainly, to people of color,” Robinson said Sunday. “So we probably would have more people in place.”

Robinson, at Dodger Stadium to promote her biography “Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America” and her work with baseball’s “Breaking Barriers” curriculum for children, said an owner’s primary responsibility must be to field the best possible team. But, she said, an owner also should build an organization that reflects a diverse community, on and off the field.

Although Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier on the field with the Dodgers 57 years ago, baseball did not approve its first minority owner until last year, when Arte Moreno, a Latino, bought the Angels. Baseball lost a potential owner who is black when Robert Johnson, owner of the NBA’s expansion Charlotte Bobcats, decided not to pursue his interest in buying the Montreal Expos and moving them to Washington.

Moreno has said he hires the most qualified job candidates and does not feel a responsibility to hire and promote minorities.

“That’s unfortunate,” Sharon Robinson said.

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Shortstop Cesar Izturis said he accepted an apology from San Francisco catcher A.J. Pierzynski for his actions in a rundown play during Saturday’s game. As Izturis tagged him out, Pierzynski delivered a right forearm, in an unsuccessful and possibly unsportsmanlike attempt to dislodge the ball. When Izturis took his next at-bat, he said Pierzynski took the initiative to say he was sorry and that he acted on instinct, not malice.

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The Dodgers and Barry Bonds’ Giants sold out the weekend, with the total attendance of 163,653 setting a Dodger Stadium record for a three-game series.... Dave Roberts leads the majors with 13 stolen bases, one more than Scott Podsednik of the Milwaukee Brewers and more than all but eight teams. Roberts has yet to be caught.... The Dodgers traded triple-A reliever Rick White to the Cleveland Indians, who promoted him to the majors. White, 35, who joins his seventh major league team in five seasons, had pitched 11 2/3 innings at Las Vegas, giving up four hits and no runs while striking out 14. In exchange, the Dodgers got outfielder Trey Dyson, 24, hitting .179 at Class A Kinston (N.C.).