MLB most popular jerseys: No Latino love?
For the first time, Major League Baseball has released a list of its most popular jerseys - and the 2010 results aren't exactly shocking. Iconic Yankee Derek Jeter heads the list, Twins star Joe Mauer is second, and Phillies ace Roy Halladay is third. (See full list below).
What's also not surprising is the racial makeup of the players with the top-selling jerseys: only 5 of the top 20 are players of color - and just two are Latino.
It's impossible to simply chalk this up to racism. Obviously many factors are at play when it comes to selling jerseys: market size (New York, Boston and L.A led the league in sales of MLB-licensed gear), team success (15 players on the list made the postseason), player's talent (16 on the list were All-Stars), etc. However, a closer look at the numbers shows that Latinos' prevalence in the sport and performance on the field did not translate into popularity at the merchandise shop.
At the start of the 2010 season, 40.2 percent of major leaguers were players of color - with Latino players accounting for 28.3 percent of all rosters, according to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Latinos starred on the field in 2010, but their jerseys apparently weren't a common sight in the stands.
While last year's AL MVP Josh Hamilton ranks seventh on the jersey list, the Latino players who finished second, third and fourth in the MVP voting (Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano and Jose Bautista) are nowhere to be found on baseball's top-selling jersey rankings.
A similar theme emerged in the National League. Albert Pujols, last year's NL MVP runner-up and arguably the best player in the game, makes the list at No. 6. But the two players - both Latinos - who finished right behind him (Carlos Gonzales and Adrian Gonzales) are not on the list.
To recap: Nearly 30 percent of major leaguers are Latino. Last year, three Latinos finished in the top 4 in the MVP vote - in both leagues. Yet only two Latinos (Pujols and Alex Rodriguez) boasted jerseys that cracked the top 20.
Does this mean baseball fans are uneasy wearing jerseys of Latino players? Probably not. But the list is emblematic of baseball's long struggle to change the complexion of the sport - on the field and in the stands.
It's interesting that the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports gave baseball an A for race in its 2010 Racial and Gender Report Card. The sport would probably receive a less than stellar grade for promoting its Latino players - at least when it comes to jersey sales.
MLB Most Popular Jerseys
1. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
2. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
3. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
4. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
5. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
6. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
7. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
8. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
9. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
10. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
11. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
12. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves
13. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
14. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
15. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
16. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
17. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
18. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
19. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
20. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays