Positional Segregation in Professional Baseball: Replications, Trend Data and Critical Observation

Abstract

The results of previous studies of "stacking" by race in U.S. professional baseball are juxtaposed. The findings give several replications of the results recently reported for a more modest data base by Medoff (1977) in this Review. The comparative find ings show: (a) that there has consistently been a "stacking" pattern, of an under- representation of Blacks at central playing positions and an over-representation of whites at these positions, regardless of the time period studied since 1956; and, (b) that there has been an increase in the proportions of Blacks (to whites) within nearly all types of positions through time. However, when the proportionate distributions of Blacks across types of positions are looked at for different time periods the findings suggest that, if anything, Blacks' rates of attainment of central infield positions have declined somewhat. Medoff's argument that "an economic hypothesis" is the most plausible interpretation of recent trends in recruitment of Blacks is rejected for rea sons of evidence limitations and methodological problems in his research design.