MLB Needs to Create Their Version of the Rooney Rule

The dismissal of Fredi Gonzalez from the Atlanta Braves, while certainly expected, has had some interesting repercussions, as there are now only two minority managers. The time has come for the MLB to institute its own version of the “Rooney Rule.”

The first managerial firing of the 2016 season happened on Tuesday, as Fredi Gonzalez was dismissed by the Atlanta Braves. As the Braves were 9-28 at the time, it was certainly expected, although it is fair to wonder how much of their struggles were really his fault. Atlanta has now turned to Brian Snitker, at least on an interim basis, throughout the remainder of the year.

While it makes sense to give Snitker, a career minor league coach who helped develop the majority of the Braves players, there are unintended repercussions to this move. Now, of the thirty teams in the MLB, only two, the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, have minority managers in Dusty Baker and Dave Roberts respectively. Meanwhile, with Gonzalez being fired, the MLB does not have one single Latino manager.

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This lack of a minority presence is certainly concerning when looking at the demographics across baseball. According to SportsBusinessNews.com, at the start of last season, 41.2% of major league players were minorities. Of that group, 29.3% were Hispanic, with another 8.3% being comprised of African American players.

With the increasing number of Hispanic players, one would imagine that having a manager that can communicate with them in Spanish would be an advantage. While there are a few minority coaches, that demographic is vastly under-represented in the dugout.

However, given the daily nature of the game, it may be fair to ask as to what can realistically be done. Baseball is played virtually every day, making it necessary to have an interim manager should the permanent skipper be fired. Such concerns as demographics and the hiring practices extended towards minority candidates cannot be factored in to the day to day aspect of the schedule.

That does not, however, mean that the rules cannot be changed when it comes to the interview process for the permanent manager. Baseball tends to go through former players and coaches, without a concern as to what ethnicity these individuals are. certainly be spinned as a matter of selecting the best candidate without any restrictions, the lack of diversity when it comes to the managerial position makes one wonder what type of a chance minorities have when it comes to actually getting those jobs.

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It has gotten to the point where minority candidates actively wonder what they are doing wrong when it comes to getting these jobs. Dusty Baker was cold calling teams to ask to interview, only to be told that they were not interested, despite his winning history. Dave Martinez, a highly respected coach, has been bypassed for former players who never managed at any level, not to mention fiascos such as when the Marlins General Manager took over in the dugout last year.

So what can be done? Obviously, with the need to have a manager day to day, interim managers will have to be taken from what is available. Yet, there has to be a better way of creating a chance for those minority candidates to get a legitimate look at these positions.

It seems that the time has come for the MLB to implement their own version of the “Rooney Rule.” In the NFL, this rule is in place to force teams to interview minority candidates for coaching positions and in the front office. Given the lack of diversity in the dugout, it is time for this rule to come to Major League Baseball.

In a way, it is sad that such a rule would even be required. Given the diversity of the game, one would imagine that having a manager that can communicate with, and relate to, the players on the field would be a distinct advantage. Add in the time clocks for mound visits and the focus to speed up the game, having managers and coaches speaking in those native languages can be a major advantage.

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The MLB needs to address the lack of a minority presence in the dugout as soon as possible. Creating their own version of the Rooney Rule would be a great step towards that.