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COMMENTARY: Baseball growing more diverse off the field, if not on

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred’s office has in recent years implemented a number of diversity initiatives: Each MLB club is required to provide a plan for increasing the diversity of its staff as part of the Diversity Pipeline Program, and the Diversity Fellowship Program was started in October 2017 to provide opportunity for young professionals to train and gain experience in traditionally influential baseball operations front office jobs.

Published

7 years ago

May 26, 2019

Oakland Post

By Charles Hallman, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Conclusion a two-part column

Despite its overall paucity of Blacks on the field, baseball has shown a significant increase in racial hiring off the field.

According to the 2018 MLB Racial and Gender Report Card by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), nearly 34 percent of MLB Central Office professional staff are people of color (10 percent Black, 14.9 percent Latino, 5.7 percent Asian and 3.1 percent other).

Women employees make up almost 32 percent of the total front office staff, and there has been a 2.2 percent growth in team vice-presidents of color (11.7 to 13.9) from 2016 to 2017. People of color also make up around 24 percent of senior executive-level personnel, with the same percentage for women.

Rene Tirando / Photo by Charles Hallman

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred’s office has in recent years implemented a number of diversity initiatives: Each MLB club is required to provide a plan for increasing the diversity of its staff as part of the Diversity Pipeline Program, and the Diversity Fellowship Program was started in October 2017 to provide opportunity for young professionals to train and gain experience in traditionally influential baseball operations front office jobs.

Manfred told Pohlad Family Foundation Vice-President and Executive Director Susan Bass Roberts in their “diversity conversation” at the August 23 Minnesota Twins Diversity Celebration that these initiatives and others designed to improve diversity aren’t talked about enough. His office got an A-plus for racial hiring on the TIDES report, an improvement from the A-minus in 2017.

Renee Tirado has been MLB’s first-ever diversity and inclusion officer since 2017 and is mainly responsible for MLB’s diversity programs. She is among the 25 women vice-presidents in the Commissioner’s office.

She told the MSR, “The Commissioner is 100 percent [supportive].”

Also in town for the Twins event, Tirado said of MLB’s diversity efforts to date, “It’s been a huge success. At a minimum, we have a pool of people who are committed to our game. We are doing this in a strategic way. [But] we are not going to flood MLB all at one time.”

Manfred also supports the “Selig rule,” named for his predecessor Bud Selig, that mandates Blacks and other people of color must be interviewed for club openings. But he stressed that ultimately, what he wants to see created are “opportunities that will turn into job opportunities” in order to achieve sustained diversity.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred’ / Photo by charles Hallman

The commissioner also bemoaned a possible sticking point in this endeavor: Many of baseball’s “high quality” entry-level jobs don’t always attract recent college grads looking for work that not only pays a decent or better wage, but helps them pay off college debts as well.

“I have been impressed with the candidates we’ve placed,” Tirado said of the Diversity Pipeline Program and the Diversity Fellowship Program. TIDES reported that out of 64 “assisted hires,” 24 are full-time, 33 are interns and seven are part-time. “We have over 1,000 applicants,” she added.

“We have invested over $2 million in the last three years with minority-, women-, LGBT- and veteran-owned businesses,” Tirado said about the Diverse Business Partners program that is designed to cultivate new and existing partnerships with such underrepresented small businesses. “We are very proud of that and continue to aggressively [see] those numbers increase.”

Baseball diversity is similar to the sport itself — slow-paced, but ultimately it will get there, stated Manfred and Tirado. “I think it is too soon to access long-term devotion [to diversity efforts],” Tirado said. “The game is slow and [diversity] is not a race. But I promise you, we will win this.”

This post originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY