Dodgers: Rapper Ice Cube Thinks More African American Players Would Help LA Win
While it’s improbable that the president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman phones him for personnel input, Ice Cube believes he knows what the Los Angeles Dodgers lack.
In a word, it’s more black players. Indeed, you’re reading that correctly. The music mogul and Los Angeles icon Ice Cube tells TMZ that if they ever want to win, they need more black players.
Ice Cube Says Dodgers Need More Black Players If They Ever Wanna Win https://t.co/7343k0zkiw
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 14, 2019
Simply put, Ice Cube issued the following quote:
“They need to get some black ballplayers.”
Without question, every team could use more African American players on the roster. Right now, there just aren’t a lot of players of that race in the league in general. It’s a problem baseball is trying to deal with beginning at the youth age, something that has been prominent in the past in Cube’s home state of California.
While this is a news piece, I disagree with Cube’s assessment. First, he doesn’t provide any reasoning behind his statement. To me, if you’re going to come with a statement like this; you should have something behind it that backs it up. Why would this make the Dodgers ‘win anything’? Next, he forgets that two of the most prominent figures in the upper ranks of the Dodgers, Dave Roberts and Magic Johnson; are black.
Finally, I don’t think baseball people in front offices whether successful or not are concentrating a lot on the race of their players. In the end, it comes down to analytics and numbers, and there is not likely to be an algorithm bonus for being white, black, hispanic, or any other descent. There are too many jobs and legacies riding on the line to think otherwise.
The Dodgers have done a great job of having many different players of international backgrounds on the roster both in the recent and distant past.
In my opinion, this was a misguided or not well thought out take by the rapper. Someone quiz him and ask him if he knows what a safety squeeze is. Then, leave us your thoughts in the comments; is Ice Cube right or wrong on this?
I’ve been making the joke all year that this team is 95% white and it either fell on deaf ears or people would say “why does it matter” then recently I started seeing posters actually copy my bit and now Ice Cube is saying it. I’m always ahead on everything
Yes, you and the Cube are on the same page.
Amen I agree
What the hell does Dave Roberts and Magic Johnson have to do with the issue of needing more back players on a team that does not have ANY black players.
Ice Cube or whomever is entitled to their opinion. How about getting players that don’t choke in the playoffs!
I for one would like to see more on the team but that’s because they’ve satisfied me the most in the bedroom and during the down time of a baseball game I like to daydream a little if you get what I’m saying
YA NASTY!!!
I’m sorry you have a pinky d*ck and can’t please a woman and so my comment got to you
Omfg. If a white guy had said the same thing he’d be roasted. Racism goes in all directions, people. Stupid
There wasn’t a single mention of racism in the story. Todd, I am with you. Shame on Ice Cube and on Clint Evans for not calling him out. Just plain stupid. What the Dodgers need are better ball players. Period.
It’s a historical fact that every dodger championship team has had atleast 2 black position players so in that sense he’s right. The baseball gods will not reward us with a championship until then
And how many team with more Black players went nowhere. If you can show statistically that Black players are more productive than others, do it.
You don’t understand how it works. The Dodgers are a team that needs a black player to win it all it has nothing to do with performance per say. The baseball gods want atleast 2 at positions for the Dodgers key word is Dodgers
Lets no go down the racial makeup road..They just won 106,104 last year. This racial nonsense gets mighty old mighty quick.
Ice Cube is an idiot. What makes him think that. If i white guy said the team needs more white players, it would be a huge uproar. If anything they need to get rid of one of their black players, K. Jansen. He time has come and gone. Stick to rapping..
I’ve said it all year that for whatever reason the team had no American Blacks on the team. While I understand they put the best roster together possible, the team that signed Jackie Robinson was void of Soul. Kemp was here last year and had a pretty good year. While I do understand why they moved him, it left the team a little unbalanced in that respect. I still don’t know what happened to Toles, but it cant be good. To ignore the racial issues in our beloved country, is to become the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. Its hard for a group of people to identify with a team they’re not represented on, and the Dodgers represent Asians Hispanics and Anglos all too well. At the end of the day, after 32 years I wouldn’t care if we won the series with a purple guy… But it would be nice to see Black representation on our squad representing our highly diversified city. Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray are coming fast, but I hope things change before they come. I respect Cube’s opinion, after all he loves the team as much as anyone. That was his shot at a solution for the lack of title. As for me, I’m all out of solutions and excuses as to why a team that won 106 games ended its season for a third year in a row with the other team spilling champagne in the visitors dugout. Who knows, maybe a little coffee in the cream could make a difference…
Perhaps I am wrong but black youths appear to gravitate to BB and FB. If Ice Cube could use money and influence to entice black youths to participate in baseball, then more would be drafted and get to the MLB.
there are black players on the team! They only speak spanish though…. hahah.
Cube is ignorant.
Yes, a very racist statement but hopefully it was not meant that way. But usually the first person to bring up race is the racist.
And Mia, yes you’re a racist too and I would say most people don’t care what gets you off.
LOL liking black people is racist?? Omg I’ve heard it all.
No, Friedman needs to wake the heck up. Look Andrew, stop trying to be mr. Nice. Completely rebuild the bull pen, add 2-3 of the leagues best starters – go buy them – and say I am sorry to Roberts. Fire him.
A little league manager could get that offense to October. Then make sure our offense realizes they need to get base hits… it’s not always the home run that wins the game! Wake the hell up and smell the coffee Dodger management!!!!
What kind of statement is that ? Yes that would work well…. get more blacks on the Dodgers they’ll be better , how in the world does that play into the Dodgers getting better ? I guess that is what has been missing all along…( no disrespect ) but I think he should be called” BRAIN FREEZE” I guess I am one person who just doesn’t get it !!!! The same as those clowns running over” KERSHAW’S ” uniform # 22, What is this world coming to ? I really hope they were National fans “GROW UP”
Yeah just like it’s helping the Lakers and Rams. Way to go Ice Cube – how to be an intelligent contributor to social justice with your rubbish.
They need moore Jewish players
Right or wrong, They got rid of all the black players when the new ordership came in .. I don’t know if that was done intentionally or not but the been very consistent winning wise ever since. I’m not Implying that it was a racist move but that’s what happened
Except this isn’t factually the truth.
McCourt winded things down end 2012. In 2013 they still had Carl Crawford, Hanley, Uribe, Kemp, Dee Gordon, and brought Puig to the big leagues. Hairston Jr. got in about 100 games for that 2013 club, too. Carlos Marmol threw 21 games for that team.
Ice cube is right..they do need moore brothers on the team…looking like the 1920s 30s in 2019 in spite of the black manager….
I see what you did there with your name. Love it
They need more guys with a ‘clutch’ gene. I could care less the nationality and no one else should, IMO. I do think to a degree and in a weird way – Ice Cube was trying to say this.
I POSTED ON OPENING DAY THAT THE GHOST OF JACKIE ROBINSON WOULD NOT ALLOW THE DODGERS TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES WITHOUT BLACK REPRESENTATION ON THE 25 MAN ROSTER PLAYING MAJOR ROLES AS DID MATT KEMP WHO CARRIED THEM FOR NEARLY HALF OF LAST SEASON HIT A HOMERUN IN GAME1 OF THE WORLD SERIES AND DIDN’T START ANOTHER GAME WHILE HIS LEFTFIELD REPLACEMENT CHRIS TAYLOR STRUCK OUT10 TIMES IN THE NEXT FOUR GAMES.
I’VE BEEN A DODGERS FAN SINCE1962 AND I DO KNOW WHAT THE SUICIDE SQUEEZE IS!!!
I GREW UP IN SOUTH CENTRAL PLAYING BASEBALL WITH OZZIE SMITH EDDIE MURRAY DAN FORD CHET LEMON AND COACHED ERIC DAVIS WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I DON’T RAP
I BET THE DODGERS WISH THEY STILL HAD HOWIE KENDRICK WHOM THEY RELEASED 2 YEARS AGO AND HIT THE GRAND SLAM SENDING THE DODGERS HOME FOR THE WINTER
ALSO THEY GOT MORE PRODUCTION OFFENSIVELY AND ESPECIALLY DEFENSELY FROM YASIEL PUIG THAN AJ POLLACK AND FOR LESS MONEY
THE DODGERS NEED MORE BLACK TO GO WITH THAT BLUE!!!
Facts my brother! I grew up with Straw Eric, and the real Chris Brown! Idon’t rap either, nor do I have a CDC card! Puig was the only one playing with heart and emotion, but they got rid of him saying he was uncontrollable. Pollock was a true waste of dollars, but he fit the mold.
I think so too. If they were only all Black that would solve the problem. It’s clearly not about talent or best man plays. I am with you Ice Dude.
You sound like a salty boomer when you call him ice dude like it’s supposed to be insulting lmao
He doesn’t have to be right or wrong. It’s his opinion. But I suspect O’Shea is looking at other sports like football and basketball that are predominantly black at the professional level. The best players, by and large, in those sports are black players.
I appreciate that Mr. Jackson did not discount the value and necessity of other races, he simply states that more blacks would help the Dodgers win.
It’s just his opinion. Hopefully, more blacks will begin playing the game again and then maybe we can test Cube’s opinion as right or wrong.
Hey John. My EYES…My EYES. Easy there with the CAPS buddy… Go Dodgers. Stick to Acting and Rapping IC…
Stale joke
I can’t believe this site is gone into the color Of players. The best talent wins with the proper leadership. I am 70 years old and have been a Dodger fan my entire life. Born in Brooklyn and followed them ever since. Tommy and Willy Davis were Black, Koufax a White Jew who cares as long as they won. I’ve been married to my wife for 45 years. She identifies herself as an American who happens to be Black. She also voted for Trump. Who cares except the people who find fault with everything! Let’s grow UP!!
Really this site has? This is a news report on what a rapper said no writer here put this out as their own thoughts and opinion. Use your head
Just a news guy here, reporting something in a Dodger news cycle. My first favorite player (and Dodger) was Darryl Strawberry. I still hope he will answer my letters from 5-year old me. Just felt compelled to respond and let you know I read the comments. Thanks for the read.
Spot on Don Mega???
I say, the more South African, Algerian, and Moroccan players we can get, the better a team we will be.
The exact quote is “They need to get some black ballplayers.” Well that’s not even accurate because we do have black baseball players. We have Pedro Baez, Kenley Jansen, Russell Martin, and Andrew Toles. Hell our manager is even black. Only one in MLB right now. So maybe to Ice Cube Jansen, Martin, and Baez don’t count because they are not from America? Well we still have Toles who he decided not to show up this year. So it is not like we are actively excluding black players. Such a dumb comment from an amazingly dumb person. Disgraceful.
I bet Ice Cube watched under 100 innings all year long.
I can’t tell which is worse: that this clown said it, that Clint wrote about, or that I actually read it. I feel that like my IQ just dropped 50 points by looking at the article.
I’ll be here all week!
CE
I’ll vote for that more African American players on the team and one less manager that makes too many mental mistakes
Chris Taylor struck out 115 damn times and he still on the team. And the most stolen bases were 12 in the whole season. YES they need Brothas!!
Look at the Nationals!!
I will not say that having more African American players on the team would provide the Dodgers the winning formula; for me it’s more than the wins. Like many I was born and raised in Los Angeles back in 1963. My dad didn’t pay much attention to the game if any at all. Due to a car accident we lost him when i was in third grade, needless to say I wasn’t handling is well at all. Years latter Mom started dating again, she and her boyfriend took me to my first game. I remember my first sight of the horizontal beauty of the green field; the smell and sounds as we exited the pavilion. I saw men who looked like my dad smiling, laughing having an all around good time. I was hooked. Later in junior high I was able the sing the National Anthem at a home game.
Joe Clarke said black youths appear to gravitate to BB and BF. That’s because kids like to emulate their hero’s. It’s not that others of different back rounds or make ups cant do the job. It’s just much easier when your hero sounds and looks like you. It’s very important. Now when I go to games a don’t see me much at all. the contributions of the Negro Leagues are lost and it hurts. It’s not in the stands where families are bonding or on the field where history is made. Once a year we do get the Jackie Robinson’s 42 day; so there that.
Ice Cube is entitled to his opinion but at the same time I think that is very stupid first off us as a black community we don’t play baseball we would rather play football or basketball which is the glory sport we all start off playing baseball at a young age but as we get older we detour from that and want to go to the glory Sports
Could you imagine of a white guy said “We need more white guys, that will help us win”?
DEFINITELY I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ” ICECUBE ” DODGER’S DO NEED BLACK GUY PLAYER’S ON THEIR TEAM FOR SURE…..WOW!! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY 1 THAT HAD NOTICED THAT OF ALL TEAM’S IN MLB. WELL HOPEFULLY THEY ARE NOT RACIST.
You wouldn’t because they are plentiful. Nice try bud.
Maybe the Lakers need a couple of white guys to help them win. It’s been awhile since Pau Gasoline was on the team.
I only see white guys and latino’s in the top ten in stats whenever I look at them. Who are these great black players anyway?
For whatever reason the Dodgers had an all white starting line up this year, as the season went on it was quite noticeable. To say this is not strange especially in a multi cultural city is ridiculous.
You wouldn’t because they are plentiful. Nice try bud.