http://www.thetakeaway.org/2009/feb/23/college-baseballs-color-barrier/ http://audio.wnyc.org/takeaway/takeaway022309g.mp3 Baseball's new color barrier http://www.thetakeaway.org/2009/feb/23/college-baseballs-color-barrier/ http://parmenides.wnyc.org/media/photologue/photos/tt/cameron-hart-cal-baseball-200902-jeffberesfordhowe.jpg true 6224 segment When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier at second base with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, it was one of the defining moments in professional sports. But in the past decade, pro and college baseball have been losing black players at an astonishing rate. Sports contributor Jeff Beresford-Howe has been doing some investigating into why baseball can't seem to attract black players. <br/> <br/> <b>Contributor's notes: Jeff Beresford-Howe</b><br/> <br/> With the resounding "Ping!" of the aluminum bat, the North American baseball season commenced on Friday at colleges and universities all across the United States... <a href="http://www.thetakeaway.org/stories/2009/feb/23/college-baseballs-color-barrier/">Click through for the rest!</a><br/> <br/> <div class="a-image"><img src="http://www.thetakeaway.org/media/photologue/photos/bethune-cookman-vs-university-san-diego-baseball-200902-jeffberesfordhowe.jpg" /><br /> The Urban Youth Academy, a Major-League-Baseball-sponsored program in Compton, Calif., aims to reverse declines in African-American college ball players. <span class="credit">(Jeff Beresford-Howe)</span></div>