Touching Racialized Bases: Ethnicity in Major League Baseball Broadcasts at the Local and National Levels

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study analyzed the manner in which Major League Baseball broadcasters describe players and whether such dialogues deviated by race of athlete. Audience to which the game was being broadcast (local or national) as well as the position of the player (pitcher vs. position player) was also assessed. A 30-game composite from the 2016 Major League Baseball season was analyzed, with results indicating that White players were more likely to be depicted as succeeding due to their intelligence, whereas non-White players were more likely to fail because of an attributed lack of intelligence or concentration. In terms of personality/physicality characteristics, non-White players were more frequently discussed in terms of their emotionality than their White counterparts. Local and national broadcasters differed in the ways in which they described players—particularly regarding speed attributions. Finally, broadcaster commentary did differ based on whether a position player or a pitcher was being discussed. Through the lens of cultivation theory, ramifications for describing players differently based on race are discussed.