Where Are the Blacks in Major League Baseball?

April 2, 2007 — -- On this opening day of the Major League baseball season, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield reflects on the near collapse African-American participation in the sport he loves.

"When I grew up in the '50s and '60s in St. Paul, Minn., we were fortunate enough to have a playground half a block away," Winfield told ABC News. "Baseball used to be everywhere -- it was plentiful. It didn't cost money to play. You could go to the local park and recreational department and play. I remember parents used to say, 'Go out and play. Come back when it's dark.'"

A 12-time All-Star Game outfield selection and a 1992 World Series champion, Winfield has dedicated most of his life to America's national pastime. But a lot of things have changed since Winfield was drafted in 1973.

Baseball is no longer the sport of choice for America's children. Gone are the days of sandlot pickup games and summer afternoons filled with playing catch and home run derbies. Kids -- especially in urban areas -- today dream of dunking like Shaquille O'Neal, throwing the winning touchdown like Donovan McNabb, and signing a multimillion dollar deal at the age of 19 like 2003's No.1 NBA draft pick LeBron James.

Baseball is a game of statistics, and the figures on African-American participation have taken a startling turn over the past 30 years. In 1974, the year after Winfield was drafted, 27 percent of Major League baseball's athletes were of African-American descent. After years of steady decline, the figure fell to 9 percent last season.

In the National Football League, more than two-thirds of the players are black. African-Americans comprise more than three-quarters of the National Basketball Association.

Winfield, who batted .283 in 22 Major League seasons, attributes the dwindling number of blacks in baseball to "myriad factors," including lack of field space in urban areas, the availability of local leagues, the cost of equipment and improper instruction.

"There are a lot of socio-economic factors," said Winfield. "Society has changed. There used to be open spaces, and people said, 'Hey, let's play, let's go outside.' Stick ball, stoop ball, home run derby --