'Barriers Broken': Blue Jays' Kiner-Falefa deeply passionate about representation in baseball

TORONTO — Monday marked Jackie Robinson Day across MLB and to commemorate the occasion during batting practice, the Toronto Blue Jays sported black T-shirts adorned with the words, "Breaking Barriers." 

It was a unique look much different than the standard team-issued apparel worn by players before games, but on this day, Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa stood out even more than everyone else. He was the only player on the field dressed in all-white and Kiner-Falefa's sleeveless hoodie featured the words, "Barriers Broken" and "Bonds Formed," along with a silhouette of Robinson and his No. 42 in gold lettering. 

The hoodie, designed by The Players Alliance, was given to Kiner-Falefa after he made a donation to the organization. Established in 2020, The Players Alliance is a non-profit — comprised of 150 current and former MLB players — with the goal of increasing African American representation in the sport.

"I'm half-Samoan, quarter-Japanese and quarter-white," said Kiner-Falefa, who was born and raised in Hawaii. "It's just supporting the cause of breaking barriers and everything Jackie Robinson has done. I feel like there's a lot of athletes that don't have the opportunity and a lot of people who can really benefit from this game that don't play this game."

Kiner-Falefa is deeply passionate about representation in baseball as well as the principle of giving back. That's partly due to his experience growing up in Hawaii, where the game is nowhere near as popular as it is in the mainland United States. 

Introduced to baseball at the age of five by his grandfather, Kiner-Falefa quickly developed a love for the game. His talent was evident from the time he was in the seventh grade and so his parents made the decision to enrol him on travel teams, a move that would help the infielder gain exposure while competing in tournaments across the U.S. 

Kiner-Falefa only had two college offers, so the draft represented his best chance at pursuing a career in baseball — he was selected by the Texas Rangers out of his Honolulu high school in the fourth round in 2013. 

"It's hard because there are no scouts — teams aren't going to recruit in Hawaii," said Kiner-Falefa. "(People) kind of make fun of it and say, 'Scouts are going just for vacation.' They don't go as often as other places. You don't have the scouts going there every day to watch you. So, there's a lot of travelling and it's a lot of money to get over here and to get in front of scouts. No matter how good you are, you have to be able to perform well in a limited sample size."

When Kiner-Falefa was growing up, he looked up to the handful of Hawaiians who managed to carve out MLB careers, including Shane Victorino, Kurt Suzuki and former Blue Jays reliever Brandon League, among others. There isn’t a large list of players to choose from and that’s remained the case years later, with Kiner-Falefa now in his seventh big-league campaign.

At the start of the 2023 season, he was one of only six MLB players who identified as Hawaiian or as a Pacific Islander, according to the most recent Racial and Gender Report Card released by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

Such dearth has long inspired Kiner-Falefa’s efforts to get involved with youth baseball. He travelled to Samoa when he was in high school to help teach children about the sport and, in recent years, he's participated in youth camps back in Hawaii. 

"There's not many opportunities on the island," said Kiner-Falefa, who signed a two-year, $15-million deal with the Blue Jays in the off-season. "So, just to be able to give back and open some doors means a lot to me." 

While grassroots efforts are vital to grow the game, Kiner-Falefa believes there also needs to be a shift in mindset among young athletes on the island when they consider a potential future in baseball compared to other sports. 

"For a lot of people in Hawaii, their body frames and athleticism (could work in baseball)," he said. "If they're not a football player, if they're not a basketball player, if you're not tall or if you're not like a jacked guy, baseball is an avenue where size doesn't matter. 

"No matter how big you are, no matter how small you are, you're not getting picked based on, 'Do I weigh 300 pounds and can I play linebacker?’ Baseball gives kids that don't have the opportunities to excel in other sports a door to maybe get to college to help support their family."

An important notion on any day, let alone one devoted to the memory of Jackie Robinson.