PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Cleveland Indians took three separate buses to PNC Park ahead of Saturday’s exhibition against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a move designed to maintain proper social distancing while also attempting to conduct a Major League Baseball season. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the club broke protocol for a few brief moments during the national anthem. As a prerecorded version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” played on the speakers in the stadium with no spectators, the Indians stood side by side, right hand over heart and left hand over their teammate’s right shoulder .
It was intentional. It was peaceful. Most importantly, star shortstop Francisco Lindor noted, he was respectful on all sides, as the team finds a way to show support for social justice after George Floyd’s death while in Minneapolis police custody. in May.
“I think as a team we support change, but we also respect the flag and the national anthem as a team,” Lindor said after scoring a double in the eighth inning of a 5-3 victory. “We understand that it is time for a change and the change is due.”
The club held a long meeting on Friday that manager Terry Francona said it focused on “life issues.” The result provided a vivid image. Not kneeling, but a very intimate and very personal sign of unity. Lindor believes it is the beginning of something, not the end.
“We need to continue having more conversations,” Lindor said. “This is not a one-time thing. people have been fighting for black lives and people of color for a long time … let’s keep talking. “
Even if they will be forced to do so during the most unusual season in baseball history. What ended as a show of union actually started as a struggle.
Because there were no fans inside the park, the normal pregame pattern felt disjointed. There was no message about the public address system asking people to get up for the hymn. Instead, it has just started.
The warming-up of several pirates simply stopped what they were doing and turned toward the flag beyond the wall in left center field, while the Indians, some of whom were playing informally on the right field line, ran into position.
Once the hymn ended, things went back to normal, more or less.
Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove pitched three scoreless innings in his final set-up before receiving the ball on opening day in St. Louis next Friday. Musgrove struck out five against a hit and a walk on his final set-up before things started to count.
Musgrove, 27, tried to block the weirdness out of it all and just took care of his business. Pearl Jam’s “Evenflow” sounded through the speakers as it warmed up before the top of the first, and after that, the artificial noise of the crowd and the seas of empty seats faded away.
“It felt like a game,” said Musgrove. “For me, as a pitcher you only see, everyone talks about how intense the crowd could be … but you have tunnel vision, you see the batter, the receiver and the referee … that image for me was quite the same. “
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The Pirates lost backup receiver Luke Maile the season after surgery on Friday to repair a fractured right index finger. The injury, which occurred Thursday, will keep Maile out of action for at least 10 to 12 weeks. Normally that would be around half a season. In 2020, that means Maile’s year is over.
John Ryan Murphy believes he is the main backup behind Jacob Stallings when the season begins next week.
HERE AND THERE
Christian Arroyo hit a two-run double in the eighth to provoke the Cleveland rally from a 3-0 deficit. … Zach Plesac allowed two runs on six walks and six strikeouts in five innings for the Indians. … Guillermo Heredia, who will start in the Pirates’ right field as starter Gregory Polanco recovers from the new coronavirus, drove two runs for Pittsburgh.
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