April 15, 1947 was the landmark date that Jackie Robinson integrated baseball upon joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although it was a major stride, the passage of time does not mean that baseball’s diversity issue vanished after Robinson joined a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
U.S. born African American MLB players have been on the decline in recent years. Additionally, who runs baseball and how to move up the ranks in leadership roles is another conversation about diversity that intersects with playing ball.
“There is a way to get in. Don’t count yourself out just because of your skin color and your background or ethnicity, just because it’s not a predominantly Black sport,” said Brandon Rembert. “I work in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. The last two years I was a minor league operations assistant. My new role coming into next year will be in the amateur scouting department.”
Rembert, who was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, is a former HBCU baseball standout who played on the Alcorn State Braves team from 2019-2021. When he reached the baseball diamond in college, Rembert already had 17 or 18 years of baseball experience under his belt.
Photo credit: Rocco Liberatore
Some of Rembert’s notoriety during his time at Alcorn State included being named a two-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Pre-Season All-Conference First-Team selection prior to his 2020 and 2021 campaigns. He was also named the tenth ranked HBCU MLB Draft prospect going into the 2021 season by Black College Nines.
“I had a baseball scholarship along with some academic money as well,” Rembert said, explaining that he maintained good grades. “The goal obviously was to play professional baseball. Going into my last year, I thought I was going to be in a good spot to be able to get picked up, either as a free agent or in the draft, but then I had a hamstring injury. So, in my last year I was sidelined for most of the season.”
Rembert’s plan to play professional baseball was cut short. He was limited to playing 10 games. The forced pivot was hard for Rembert to accept. After regrouping, a new plan took shape.
“I was coaching for a travel team around the area that I was in, and then I also was the assistant hitting and outfield coach for my high school alma mater, Booker T. Washington [in Pensacola, Florida],” Rembert said.
The Pittsburgh Pirates found Rembert in 2022. Tyrone Brooks, senior director of front office and field staff diversity pipeline program at Major League Baseball, spoke to Rembert’s college baseball team about an MLB diversity program that he was running. Rembert stayed in touch with him.
“And then crazy enough, he used to work for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had my resume and he sent over my resume to the Pirates. They took a look at it, and they started giving me calls and interviews. I kept reaching the next level, the next level and then eventually they liked what they saw. They brought me on,” Rembert said.
Rembert was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates as minor league baseball operations assistant. During his first year with the organization, he was based in the Dominican Republic. He finished his second season with the Pirates this year. Rembert mainly worked with the Low-A affiliate Bradenton Marauders. Video and data collection, assisting with cage and on field work and other administrative responsibilities kept Rembert busy.
He will take on a new role next year, making a transition into the amateur scouting department for the Pirates. Along with scouting, he hopes to capture footage of certain prospects that the team needs.
Rembert wants HBCU students, and African Americans who want to pursue a career in professional baseball, to understand that there are a lot of moving parts in baseball that require many different staffing needs. Digging for internship opportunities, programs and fellowships can be a part of the process.
“My advice would be to just do the research. Go online and see what’s out there. Even LinkedIn is a good tool now to research and connect with people that are in the game,” Rembert said.
He added that the Pirates organization is a rather diverse organization compared to others, in his opinion. Rembert believes that baseball employment diversity will improve, even gender wise, especially because of Brooks’ work.
Rembert remains hopeful about what is in store for his professional future, too.
“I want to continue to climb the ladder within the Pirates organization. They’ve been really good to me. I’ve had a lot of growth,” Rembert said. “I want to continue to grow and I want to continue to learn.”
