Cedar Rapids Kernels’ Black players hope to use platform to grow popularity of baseball to Black youths

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Kernels double the average, but that average still isn’t very good.

On an active roster of 28, the Kernels have four Black players. That’s 14.3 percent.

Going into this season, just 6.8 percent of professional baseball players were African-American. It’s a number that continues to dwindle.

“Being African-American, there’s not many of us in this game,” said outfielder Kennie Taylor, whose Kernels were outlasted at home Sunday afternoon by West Michigan, 4-3, in 10 innings. “Just being able to show the younger generation that there are people who look like them in this game, I think (helps) a lot. Hopefully it can help bolster a lot more love of the game all around the world, really.”

Taylor went to Duke University before turning pro. All four Black players on the Kernels are college products: infielder-outfielders Will Holland (Auburn) and Alerick Soularie (Tennessee) and relief pitcher Matthew Swain (Georgia Gwinnett).

The number of Black players in Division I college baseball is even smaller than the pros. According to a story this week from The Associated Press, only 4 percent of players from the 279 D-I college baseball programs, not including HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), were Black.

Only 1 percent of head and assistant coaches were Black. That is an extreme lack of diversity.

“It’s hard being motivated as a kid every day as a young Black player when you don’t see a lot of youth that look like you and on the big stage,” Holland said. “I experienced that. But I’d say if you find somebody that helps you want to get where you (want to go), or to see somebody who came from where you came from, that shows you that you can persevere and do it.”

Holland’s father, Phill, helped instill the love of the game in him. The Hollands are from the Atlanta area, and Phill Holland always was a huge Braves fan.

Will Holland grew up loving former Braves outfielder Andruw Jones.

“That was my guy. I liked the way he played, I liked how he played. I liked everything about him,” Holland said. “Now you’ve got guys like TA7 (Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox), guys like that who are changing the game. Being themselves and not scared to make mistakes or doing something different. That’s the biggest thing, I think.”

Holland said he thinks the movement in the game toward players being encouraged to show more emotion, more flair when they play will be a boon when it comes to attracting more Black youths to it. To attracting all youths.

He said he believes growth needs to come from “higher up,” having more African-Americans be involved in front offices, as managers and coaches. He acknowledges there are no quick fixes.

“You’ve got guys coming out and showing different expressions ... personalities. Different things are coming out in the game, which is good,” Holland said. “I think that will open up more eyes, more people wanting to play the game, more people coming to watch the game.

“I think that’s the biggest thing. Letting the players be themselves. Kids can be that and be inspired by them and want to do that themselves. Have a role model, somebody to look up to being in that uniform.”

Perhaps like a Will Holland. Or a Kennie Taylor. Or a Matthew Swain. Or an Alerick Soularie.

“I think that’s really important to use my platform to really foster that love of the game,” Taylor said.

The Kernels (44-25, 1-2) had only one baserunner through seven innings but moved into a 2-2 tie on Pat Winkel’s two-run home run in the eighth inning. West Michigan scored twice in the 10th, with Cedar Rapids countering with a run in the bottom half on a Dylan Neuse one-out RBI single that also put runners at the corners.

But Charles Mack struck out swinging, and Kyler Fedko’s smash right at the Whitecaps third baseman ended the game. After a day off Monday, the Kernels head to Wisconsin for a six-game series that begins Tuesday night.

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