Joe Thurston of the St. Louis Cardinals Talks about the Lack of Blacks in the MLB
At the age of 29, Joe Thurston finally has a chance to prove that he belongs in Major League Baseball. After 10 years in the Minor League, Thurston broke training camp as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals in April. Since his promotion to the Majors, Thurston has become a force to be dealt with as a third baseman. In the first two months of the season, Thurston has compiled a record of five doubles, a triple, and a stolen base. Rolling out sports recently caught up with Thurston to discuss his role with the Cardinals and the lack of black MLB players.-amir shaw
Since becoming a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, how have you contributed to making the team one of the top squads in the MLB?
My role is to be ready when my number is called. I’m the utility guy. I make sure that I continue to be a hardnosed player who hustles after every pitch.
What are your thoughts on the lack of black players in Major League Baseball today?
When I played as a child, baseball was popular in my community. Everyone loved the game of baseball back then. There were more black players when I was growing up. My generation had a lot of black players to look up to. Hopefully there will be more black players involved in the future.
What can be done to increase the number of black players?
More black players have to get an opportunity to play. We have to develop more black players at a young age. But there are guys who are playing in the Minor League who have to get an opportunity.
What advice do you give to young black kids who want to play Major League Baseball?
I would tell kids to never give up and to keep working hard. You can never listen when someone tells you that you can’t do something. You have to depend on God to get you to where you need to be.
