MLB Removes DEI, Diversity Program References

Major League Baseball in 2016 announced a slew of diversity initiatives in its corporate hiring practices, eventually incorporating numerous DEI references into its careers website. 

But a new political climate, thanks to the reelection of President Donald Trump, along with a slew of executive actions designed to limit racial discrimination, has dealt a significant blow to progressive corporate agendas. And MLB is one of those progressive corporations now forced to reevaluate its unfair practices.

While commissioner Rob Manfred initially said in February that the league's commitment to discrimination under the guise of DEI remained "unchanged," by March, its website no longer has references to the "Diversity Pipeline Program," once proudly celebrated. 

The Athletic, as part of the hivemind of left-wing sports media, reached out to MLB about it. 

"As the commissioner stated, our values on diversity remain unchanged. We are in the process of evaluating our programs for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law as they continue forward," MLB responded in a statement.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. (Photo by Tony Avelar/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Rob Manfred Backing Down From Discrimination After Federal Pressure

At the owners meetings in February, Manfred reportedly told owners that the league is committed to left-wing politics, but must also follow the law: 

"Our values on diversity remain unchanged, but another value that is pretty important to us is, we always try to comply with what the law is," he said.

"There seems to be an evolution going on here. We’re following that very carefully," he added. "When things get a little more settled, we’ll examine each of our programs and make sure that, while the values remain the same, that we’re also consistent with what the law requires."

But The Athletic found that the MLB Careers page no longer uses the word "diversity" anywhere on its website. The horror!

This is the issue with corporations attempting to follow the whims of left-wing sportswriters, instead of simply sticking to common sense and rationality. Yes, the league should encourage applicants of all races to apply for careers in Major League Baseball and its teams. No, it doesn't need to discriminate in order to do so.

The Athletic referenced three former general managers, Farhan Zaidi, Kim Ng and Kenny Williams, as examples of individuals around the game being "increasingly concerned" about the lack of diversity in MLB front offices. But Zaidi, Ng and Williams ran the Giants, Marlins and White Sox, respectively. Not one of those teams had been headed in the right direction. 

Should executives stay in jobs if they aren't performing well? Or should their race or ethnicity outweigh job performance?

MLB and its teams could and should, do a better job of hiring executives, assistants, interns, and so on. Stop using nepotism for entry-level positions and reinforce the value of scouts from all backgrounds that use playing experience to evaluate potential draft talent. Just do it without advertising that you're willing to purposefully discriminate in order to do so.