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Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the decline in African Americans in the sport of baseball. Central Idea: The number of African American males playing baseball has declined drastically since 1975. Introduction I. “The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it." A. This is a quote from the late Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 broke color barriers by being the first African American to play Major League Baseball. B. He was a courageous American citizen and an example of leadership that we should all follow. II. But almost sixty years later, a shocking trend has developed. A. According to an article in Sports Illustrated, this season only 10% of MLB players are black. That is down from 27% in 1975. B. As a fan of baseball, when I researched this topic, I was shocked to see these numbers. III. There are several factors that have lead to the decline in blacks involved in baseball, but tonight, I would like to touch on two of the reasons for which I feel are the most important. A. One being the rise in popularity of Basketball and Football, B. And the other, which I will start with, is the lack of African American star