60 years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, U.S.-born blacks are disappearing from the game-and the stands. The St. Louis Cardinals reflect the national trend, with no blacks on their major league roster and almost none in their farm system。 傑基羅賓森打破美國棒球膚色藩籬60年後,美國出生的黑人幾從棒賽場和觀眾席絕跡。聖路易紅雀隊就是這個全國趨勢的寫照:大聯盟球員名單不見黑人,小聯盟系統也幾乎沒有黑人。 Blacks make up 8 percent of major league rosters-less than half the 17.25% of 1959. Three decades ago, blacks make up nearly 30 percent of major rosters. 黑人占全美大聯盟球員名單8%:不到1959年17.25%之半。30年前,黑人幾占大聯盟球員30%。 Factors affecting the numbers include a lack of good youth baseball facilities in inner cities, the expense of playing at an elite youth level, and the popularity of football and basketball. 影響這些數字的因素,包括舊城區缺乏良好的青少年棒球設施、打精英青少年棒球花費多,以及美式足球與籃球風行。 A Harris Poll last December found that only 6 percent of blacks chose baseball as their favorite sport. 47 per-cent chose pro football. Major League Baseball esti-mates blacks attendance at 3 percent. 哈里斯上月民調發現,黑人只有6%選棒球為其最愛的運動。47%選職業美式足球。職棒大聯盟當局則估計,棒球賽觀眾只有3%是黑人。 As the U.S. Hispanic population has ballooned to nearly 43 million, foreign-born Hispanics made up nearly 25% of opening-day rosters. 隨著美國的拉丁人口劇增到近4300萬,境外出生的拉丁裔選手已占球季開幕戰球員25%。