Did Adam Smith have an ‘Invisible Hand’ in the Desegregation of Major League Baseball?
by William MattoxSeveral weeks ago, I watched my son play a high school baseball game on “Jackie Robinson Field” in Cairo, Georgia (Robinson’s hometown). As I watched, I pondered a provocative question raised by Economic Episodes in American History, a fascinating new supplemental curriculum that ought to be used in every high school social studies department:
Did Adam Smith Have an “Invisible Hand” in the Desegregation of Major League Baseball?
This question is one of 32 raised in Economic Episodes in American History, which seeks to deepen students’ understanding of American life by desegregating the study of economics and history. Written by Mark Schug and William Wood, this imaginative new curriculum uses illustrations from American history to teach students basic economic principles.
In the case of major league baseball’s desegregation, Schug and Wood invite students to learn about how labor markets function – and, specifically, how the competition for top talent made it impossible, eventually, for Major League Baseball owners to sustain an agreement to deny opportunities to African-American ballplayers.
While heralding the “courage and determination” of Jackie Robinson and of Branch Rickey (the white baseball executive who signed Robinson), Schug and Wood suggest that larger economic forces were at work in baseball’s desegregation – a fact which can help deepen our understanding of this historical episode without diminishing our admiration for the central players in this grand drama.
That Schug and Wood were the central players in the writing of this new curriculum should surprise no one. Both have won a litany of awards for their skill in teaching economics – Schug in his post at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wood in his position at James Madison University in Virginia. And both have a real heart for integrating history and economics.
At a time when many are (justifiably) concerned about America’s economic future, a curriculum that enables students to learn from our economic past seems incredibly timely. That Economic Episodes has been written so skillfully is a tribute to two professors who possess Jackie Robinson-like talent in the economics education labor market.
William Mattox is a resident fellow at The James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, Florida.
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22 Comments
Consider that prior to Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, baseball was excluding some of the finest players out there. Which means it was putting out an inferior product. It would eventually have been doomed had it not made that change. This was a case where economic sense and moral sense merged.
Of course that blacks WERE excluded from Major League Baseball until 1947 was itself a moral outrage. Just imagine baseball without the iconic figures of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays? You can't. I certainly can't, having been born in the 1970's and having no personal conception of segregation as I never saw it.
I can't imagine my Cincinnati Reds without my favorite player of all time, Barry Larkin (who should be in the hall of fame). What would the shortstop position be today without the defensive acrobatics of "Wizard" Ozzie Smith and the (then) unprecedented offensive prowess of Larkin in the 1980's and 1990's?
True on Larkin. He has been robbed. He was one of the best offensive players of his time at his position, and his defense was excellent as well.
It sounds like something I should really take the time to look into. HUGE baseball fan, and I love/hate players for their performances and attitudes – not their appearance. Just like Obama.
Too bad integration didn't help my Cubs that much. Of course, nothing ever will…
Baseball is just like the NFL, MBA. Money comes first before seeing how good they are these days.
Jackie's one of the greatest without question.
Now why would Chicago need TWO major league teams,….?????
I actually heard your sigh coming out of my computer at your last sentence. I don't live in Cleveland but close enough to it, the sports teams,…sigh…..
"……..Did Adam Smith Have an “Invisible Hand” in the Desegregation of Major League Baseball?……"
Of course and this would be common knowledge if,……….
this story focused on the real hero and not Jackie Robinson,….
who could have easily been replaced by any other major league caliber black player at that time.
However, there was only one Branch Rickey.
"………“courage and determination” of Jackie Robinson and of Branch Rickey (the white baseball executive who signed Robinson),……"
Notice how the author felt it necessary to explain who Rickey was.
Government interference always distorts what would have been positive economic and social outcomes.
Bo Jackson.
This is an "of course" matter. The Negro League had already demonstrated the capabilities of black players, many of whom could easily have attained superstar status in the American or National Leagues. For MLB to maintain a closed door to such talent would have meant that over time, it would have lost audience to the Negro League — and audience, then as now, meant money.
"who could have easily been replaced by any other major league caliber black player at that time. "
I couldn't disagree more. Jackie was the right choice because of his demeanor, his intelligence and his understanding of the situation. The only way the "great experiment" would work is if whomever was chosen was able to ignore the horrible things that would be said and done to him over the next few years. In fact, Mr Rickey made it very clear to Jackie that he could NOT fight back for three years.
Jackie was known for having a short temper but managed to abide by those restrictions. It had a horrible affect on his heath and well-being, and likely led him to an early death.
I agree that Branch Rickey deserves as much credit as Jackie Robinson, but it's nonsense to think that just "any other major league caliber black player at that time." could have accomplished what Jackie did.
I also think it couldn't have happened on any other major league team besides the Dodgers.
Btw, GO CUBBIES!!
Baseball we desegregated because the Negro Leagues were making too much money. This is interesting because blacks are not supposed to be able to run business. They need the government to give them money.
We need to segregate again so we can have our own
How appropriate a Cleveland Indians fan chimes in on this story,…….
since Larry Doby, the first American leaguer, started with the Tribe.
JR was a great human being,.no doubt about it but,……….
but was it really his character,.remember a year or two later,….
the Cleveland Indians had Larry Doby.
Steve Bartman: my favorite Cub fan.
Integration gave the Cubs Ernie Banks.
"Let's play two!"
Chicago only has one major league team. And the Cubs.
"Baseball we desegregated because the Negro Leagues were making too much money."
WTF???
I wonder if such a thing could even happen today with the rugged individuals of yesteryear replaced now by corporatists and diletente billionaires. If a latter day Branch Rickey tried to do something equally out-of-the-box today, he would be sanctioned out of existence by the other owners and the commish. A shame.
Sox have a pennant this century. Last times Cubs?
You may have missed my snarky point.
He'd be what Barry Bonds tried to be and he would not have needed 'roids to do it.
"……And the Cubs…….."
I liked it
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