The University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) has been a key leader in issuing the annual Major League Baseball (MLB) Racial and Gender Report Card. Richard Lapchick, Ph.D., is the principal author of the study and serves as the institute’s director. This year, Major League Baseball equaled its highest grade ever on the issue of racial hiring practices. The 2013 report is available on the TIDES website.
The 2013 MLB Racial and Gender Report Card (MLB RGRC) reports the MLB earned a solid A with improvement on gender hiring practices and raised the overall grade to a B+. One of the key questions asked during the report is whether or not a player has a chance to play or work for a team despite race or gender. The League’s Office also scored high for hiring people of color (B+/A-).
“The front office of the teams should continue to make an effort to create a work force that mirrors America,” says Lapchick. He also believes that the release of the movie “42” was a big factor in the MLB’s good scores. “The release of the movie helped increase focus as the 2013 MLB season began.”
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport is part of the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program in the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration. This landmark program focuses on business skills necessary for graduates to conduct successful careers in the rapidly changing and dynamic sports industry while also emphasizing diversity, community service and sport and social issues.