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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

"Discrimination needs to end.." 'Glenn Mickens' (Special to dakinetalk blog)

Glenn Mickens has lived on Kauai  with his wife Ruth for the last 26 years. Born July 26, 1930 in Wilmar, California, USA) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in four games (two of which were starts) for the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. He also played for five years in Japan, from 1959 until 1963 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. There, he compiled a record of 45–53 with a 2.54 ERA.  Glenn also  served in the Army for 2 years and coached baseball at UCLA for 25 years. 
Last but not least Glenn would really like to see Kauai give the county manager style of Government a chance.

Discrimination needs to end
Mr. Mickens is locally known
as one of Kauai county's
political watchdogs.
Mahalos Glenn!

AJA baseball is once again kicking off.

I have been the biggest opponent of this leagues discriminatory practice of allowing only those with Japanese blood to participate. And, no matter if you want to call it cultural or use any other term for the practice, it is flagrantly discriminatory.

Since I was 15 years old I have spent my life in baseball and it has been very good to me. When I got out of the Army in 1953 and was invited to spring training with the Dodgers, I was shocked and sickened to find out that the great Negro ball players on the Dodgers---Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Don Newcomb, Joe Black and Jr Gilliam could not stay in "our " hotel nor eat with us. 

Born and raised in So Calif I had never seen black and white rest rooms, black and white drinking fountains, nor any other facilities where race prohibition was used. 

For those in the South this discriminatory practice was a cultural thing---Negros were thought to be inferior to whites and slavery was one of the ways of using this terrible bigotry for that purpose. 

Dodgers owner, Branch Rickey had the vision and brains to break this wrongful practice by signing Jackie Robinson and today we see some of the greatest Negro players making baseball the greatest sport ever played. And not only are African Americans enhancing baseball (and ALL sports) but Cuban, all Latin countries, Japanese, Korean and many other countries are participating to the benefit of baseball. 

People, why not  insist that  the President of AJA baseball, Tom Shigimoto open this fine league to all and any players who have the ability to participate.

Race or ethnic background should NEVER be a criterion for participating in any sport---only desire and ability.

Wherever my worldly travels took me to play, coach, or watch baseball, it was a sport that brought all people together. Each team respected the players on the other team without animosity whether or not they won or lost. With sports, all sports, the world can be a better place to live and be an example for countries to get along without wars. The Olympics are probably the greatest example of world sports uniting nations. 

Think of the Kenyans that come to our country and dominate the marathons---other runners do not hate them for their ability but salute them. 

I have great respect for those Japanese who have kept baseball alive for so long on Kauai and I only ask that the league be made stronger by letting all who can compete play. 


P.S.
Check out Glenn's Wikipedia page;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Mickens


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