I think baseball should take the same approach as soccer does world wide - which is invest in a youth system (not the minor leagues, a youth system) in which a team can identify talent at very young age (again, like soccer does on the world stage) and they can develop that talent in their own youth systems. Unfortunately, as some noted below, the only kids who can play baseball are the ones whose parents have the money to pay for them to play in little league (or whatever it's called these days). That means that there are many talented kids with impoverished backgrounds who cannot participate and learn the fundamentals of the game. Teams here would be allowed to scout their own communities whether urban or rural, to find and develop players (some of whom may certainly be kids of color). Of course, this would require and investment on the part of the teams. However, based on the monstrous contracts teams are throwing and players, this doesn't seem like it would be a drop in the bucket. But teams may feel that they are investing in developing a kid only to see that kid go to college or whatever or get scooped up by another team. A way around that would be the team would have the right to sign that player when they reach a certain age (say, 16 - remember Jose Oquendo?) as a "home grown" in the way that teams in the MLS does or in other world soccer leagues such as Spain, Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, etc.)

I think baseball should take the same approach as soccer does world wide - which is invest in a youth system (not the minor leagues, a youth system) in which a team can identify talent at very young age (again, like soccer does on the world stage) and they can develop that talent in their own youth systems. Unfortunately, as some noted below, the only kids who can play baseball are the ones whose parents have the money to pay for them to play in little league (or whatever it's called these days). That means that there are many talented kids with impoverished backgrounds who cannot participate and learn the fundamentals of the game. Teams here would be allowed to scout their own communities whether urban or rural, to find and develop players (some of whom may certainly be kids of color). Of course, this would require and investment on the part of the teams. However, based on the monstrous contracts teams are throwing and players, this doesn't seem like it would be a drop in the bucket. But teams may feel that they are investing in developing a kid only to see that kid go to college or whatever or get scooped up by another team. A way around that would be the team would have the right to sign that player when they reach a certain age (say, 16 - remember Jose Oquendo?) as a "home grown" in the way that teams in the MLS does or in other world soccer leagues such as Spain, Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, etc.)

user
yes
assistant