GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Delino DeShields wants to start a conversation, so he added a conversation piece.
The conversation: The lack of African-American players in the major leagues. The conversation piece: A series of tattoos curling up his right calf that depict the history of the black baseball experience.
There is, of course, the image of pioneer Jackie Robinson in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, but also of Negro League stars such as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson and Bob Thurman. There is an inked image of a Kansas City Monarchs team portrait, the logo of the Homestead Grays and also the Atlanta Black Crackers.