When Willie Randolph goes back to Brooklyn to visit relatives, he passes Betsy Head Park, where he first learned to play baseball.

What he sees sickens him.

“Crack addicts have taken over the park, and there’s no grass,” said Randolph, the Yankees third-base coach and one of their greatest African-American stars. “We used to play baseball there, and now there’s just weeds and broken whiskey bottles and all kinds of [stuff]. It’s sad.”

Similar scenes are common in the inner cities of America. Gangs, drugs and neglect have ruined parks where youngsters once played baseball without fear. Less parental involvement, and transportation and financial issues have conspired to keep inner city youth from playing baseball, eroding the pool of future African-American baseball prospects.

The 2003 Racial and Gender Report Card released last week by Richard E. Lapchick and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport put the participation of African-Americans in baseball’s major leagues at 10 percent during the 2002 season. It continues a decline that has gone from 19 percent in 1995 to its lowest level since 1968.

Don’t look for much help from the next generation. The number of children participating in baseball is down 25 percent over the last 14 years, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association.

“Kids may be turning away from baseball because of a lack of finances and a lack of opportunities,” Dodgers outfielder Brian Jordan said. “Baseball’s an expensive sport. You need gloves, shoes, and you’ve got to pay to be in the leagues. People don’t have that kind of money to spare in the ‘hoods.”

Major League Baseball is sponsoring two initiatives in an effort to cultivate the game in disadvantaged areas. One is the well-established RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program. Founded it 1989, the RBI program works primarily through the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. It aims to introduce youngsters not only to baseball, but also to beneficial life skills.

The RBI program serves more than 120,000 boys and girls in 175 cities. Winners of regional RBI tournaments meet in one of three divisional championships: junior boys (13-15 year olds), senior boys (16-18) or girls softball (15-18).

“The only real chance we have of improving the numbers [of African-Americans in the major leagues] is if some of the inner city RBI programs start producing some kids,” Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. “But that’s four or five years away, maybe.”

Another initiative is in its infancy. This month, MLB is expected to announce a site in the Los Angeles area for the construction of the first U.S.-based baseball academy. Unlike Latin America, where each major league team operates its own academy, the academy in Los Angeles will be operated by MLB and will serve as a center where youngsters can receive instruction while competing in organized competition.

The academy will have an educational component where youngsters can learn computer skills and the different vocations within baseball, including groundskeeping, marketing and front-office duties. Groundbreaking for the academy is targeted for later this summer.

“It’s our first attempt to have our first domestic facility,” said Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB vice president of baseball operations. “Hopefully, when it shows to be successful, other communities will want to do the same thing until we have them sprinkled all over the country, or at least in every city that has a major league team. That’s what it’s going to take if we’re going to tackle this issue.”

Braves outfielder Gary Sheffield favors MLB funneling more dollars to promote baseball programs in the inner cities for social as well as developmental reasons.

“You’re not going to get black ball players to come out of the ‘hood unless there’s someone there to give them a helping hand,” Sheffield said. “When you’re in a small box, you have to see past that box. A lot of times, kids can’t see past the box because it requires going to school and getting your education so you can become something. Once you get through to them that education is important, they can see past that box.”

Next: Baseball’s lukewarm appeal to inner city youth.

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SANDLOT DAZE

Run-down inner city ball fields, like one pictured here, have contributed to decline in number of blacks playing baseball, says Yankee great Willie Randolph. A look at teams in recent New York baseball history shows a distinct change in the racial makeup of the rosters (minimum 30 games for position players, 10 games for pitchers).

1977 Yankees

African-Americans (9)

Paul Blair

Chris Chambliss

Reggie Jackson

Cliff Johnson

Carlos May

Willie Randolph

Mickey Rivers

Roy White

Jim Wynn

Latin Americans (1)

Ed Figueroa

2003 Yankees

African-Americans (2)

Derek Jeter

Charles Gipson

Latin Americans (10)

Juan Acevedo

Erick Almonte

Raul Mondesi

Antonio Osuna

Jorge Posada

Al Reyes

Mariano Rivera

Alfonso Soriano

Bernie Williams

Enrique Wilson

1986 Mets

African-Americans (5)

George Foster

Dwight Gooden

Kevin Mitchell

Darryl Strawberry

Mookie Wilson

Latin Americans (1)

Rafael Santana

2003 Mets

African-Americans (3)

Tony Clark

Cliff Floyd

Mo Vaughn

Latin Americans (7)

Roberto Alomar

Pedro Astacio

Armando Benitez

Roger Cedeno

Raul Gonzalez

Timo Perez

Rey Sanchez