This spring the race scorekeepers revealed that American-born blacks are disappearing from Major League Baseball.

If you're keeping score at home, African-Americans make up just 8 percent of major league rosters (as distinguished from black Hispanic players), down from 30 percent three decades ago. There are a half-dozen teams that don't have a single black player on their rosters.

Newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV stations have covered this issue in true herd journalism fashion.

Everyone from sociologist Harry Edwards to professional busybody Jesse Jackson to former player Joe Morgan have weighed in on the issue (anyone heard from Al Sharpton yet?).

Dave Winfield wrote a book about it.

Major League Baseball held a panel discussion on the subject.

And I don't care.

Sorry. Maybe the race/racism button has been pushed too many times and no longer works. My race-o-meter is broken.

This subject is tired, and in the current context, just plain inconsistent and misdirected. Call me when they want to count the inequities for all races and in other sports. If we're going to do this for one, we might as well do it for all.

The dearth of blacks in baseball is not racism, as some might believe at first glance or as some have implied. Most agree it's a reflection of interest and socio-economics. There is limited space for ball fields in inner-city areas, and the result is a lack of interest among American black youth.

In the era of one-sport prep athletes, black youth are opting to follow more visible role models in football and basketball — Kobe, LeBron, Michael Vick — not Gary Sheffield and Ken Griffey. Baseball coaches report that they have trouble getting black youth to try out for their teams.

The decline in the number of black players in the Major Leagues is a noteworthy development, but the attention it has commanded reveals, again, an astonishing double standard in this country.

White Americans make up about 12 percent of NBA rosters.

They make up about 35 percent of NFL rosters.

But there are no calls for panel discussions. No demands for action. No Jesse Jackson.

No one is asking baseball to step up efforts with community groups, schools and others to get more whites into the game, which is exactly what they decided to do to address the situation in Major League Baseball.

Blacks make up 75 percent of the NBA rosters and 65 percent of NFL rosters — yet only 13 percent of the U.S. population.