This past week, Craig Calcaterra noted in his Cup of Coffee newsletter that the Diversity Pipeline Program had disappeared from Major League Baseball’s website. This change appeared to align with President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives from various organizations across the nation. Established in 2016 under Commissioner Rob Manfred, the diversity initiative was designed to identify and cultivate front-office candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
On Friday, MLB responded to the situation, stating, “Our values on diversity remain unchanged,” as reported by USA Today. “We are in the process of evaluating our programs for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law as they continue forward.” This echoed remarks made by Manfred during last month’s MLB owners meeting when he emphasized the importance of complying with the law while maintaining their core values, especially concerning diversity.
The news of MLB’s removal of the diversity program came alongside reports that Trump’s Department of Defense had taken down a webpage celebrating the military achievements of Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers legend who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947. That page was eventually restored following public outcry, with the DoD claiming it was “mistakenly removed.” Like many organizations, MLB finds itself on a precarious path, trying to appease Trump’s grievances while still attempting to convey its commitment to the values it now hesitates to fully endorse.
