Now that Lloyd McClendon has been fired and replaced as manager of the Seattle Mariners after just two seasons, Major League Baseball now has no black managers. According to Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, this will be the first season that the MLB will have no black managers since 1987.
It needs to be noted that two teams, the San Diego Padres and the Miami Marlins still don’t have managers for the 2016 season so this could change. There also could be a manager fired at any time during the off-season if upper management or ownership desires to.
If this doesn’t change, this is just another showing of a disturbing trend of African American’s leaving baseball. On opening day 2014, only 8.3 percent of all MLB players were African American, down from it’s peak of 18.7 percent in 1981. The MLB, to their credit, has launched their Reviving Baseball in Inner-Cites program (RBI), but it is to early for many of the benefits of that program at the major league level.
There have only been 13 African American managers in the history of the MLB managing a total of 14,726 games. Of those 13, Willie Randolph, who managed the Mets from 2005 to 2008 has the highest winning percentage, but Cito Gaston is the only one to win a World Series. Out of the 13, I would consider only three are actively still seeking manager jobs. Lloyd McClendon who was just let go and Dusty Baker, who hasn’t managed in two seasons but you always here his name tossed around whenever there is a job opening, and Bo Porter, who’s first gig as a manger went terribly, but his Houston Astros were one of the least talented organizations ever during his tenure. Ron Washington is back coaching in the big leagues, but his history with hard drug use might scare teams away from handing him the reigns to the organization.
| Manager | Years Active | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage |
| Willie Randolph | 2005-08 | 302 | 253 | 54.4% |
| Dusty Baker | 1993-2013 | 1671 | 1504 | 52.6% |
| Ron Washington | 2007-14 | 664 | 611 | 52.1% |
| Cito Gaston | 1989-97, 2008-10 | 894 | 837 | 51.6% |
| Jerry Manuel | 1998-2003, 2008-10 | 704 | 684 | 50.7% |
| Cecil Cooper | 2007-09 | 171 | 170 | 50.1% |
| Don Baylor | 1993-98, 2000-02 | 627 | 689 | 47.6% |
| Frank Robinson | 1975-77, 81-84, 88-91, 2002-06 | 1065 | 1176 | 47.5% |
| Hal McRae | 1991-94, 2001-02 | 399 | 473 | 45.8% |
| Lloyd McClendon | 2001-05, 2014-15 | 499 | 607 | 45.1% |
| Larry Doby | 1978 | 37 | 50 | 42.5% |
| Davey Lopes | 2000-02 | 144 | 195 | 42.5% |
| Bo Porter | 2013-14 | 110 | 190 | 36.7% |
The lack of African American managers isn’t because of a lack of quality candidates, but I’d rather believe it’s the new style throughout baseball to give jobs to first time coaches that have played recently like Brad Ausmus, A.J. Hinch, and Mike Matheny.
The MLB however may have a perception problem on their hands if there isn’t a African American hired for one of the two remaining managerial position that remain open. They still have a chance to save themselves, but you don’t hear any African Americans in the scuttlebutt as being front runners.
H/T: CBS Sports and the A.P.