Sam Coonrod didn’t pitch in Thursday night’s season opener, but a day later, the Giants reliever found himself the most talked-about player in MLB.
Coonrod was the only player on both sides who didn’t kneel during a moment of unity before the national anthem at Dodger Stadium, one that has played in stadiums across the country on opening day for 26 other teams.
After the game, on a Zoom call with reporters, Coonrod said he believes his faith does not allow him to kneel before anyone but God. However, it was his comments at the end of the call that really turned into a firestorm overnight.
“I’m a Christian, like I said, and I just can’t address a couple of things I’ve read about Black Lives Matter,” Coonrod said when asked about the movement. “How they lean toward Marxism and have said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can’t accept that.”
A day later, Giants manager Gabe Kapler, who knelt during all three games this week, said he had spoken to the 27-year-old reliever.
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“I support him by expressing himself and sharing his beliefs,” Kapler said. “I support all of our players by sharing their thoughts, and that means we can have a conversation about really important issues when we are constantly communicating. Sam said he is going to be talking to people about these issues now, more because of last night’s events. , and I am happy to share my position with him.
“Black Lives Matter is not, for me, a political issue, but a simple statement of something that I believe to be true. It is a movement. I want to work to end racial inequality. I want us to promote social justice, and it is really important that we amplify the voices of marginalized groups and create channels to increase diversity in this particular industry. “
Kapler has been open about his beliefs in the past few weeks. He spoke to reporters on Friday wearing a Black Lives Matter jersey and said he had spoken to players across the league in the past few days, as the timing was planned. It seemed to transform overnight. Players who opened their season on Thursday knelt while holding the long piece of black cloth, but on Friday, most teams stood up. There were a few exceptions, including former giant Sergio Romo.
And Duffey and Romo pic.twitter.com/39ZUBCZfTk
– LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) July 25, 2020
Coonrod said Thursday night that he did not find out about the plans until it was too late to speak to anyone. He chose to stop. Kapler said the plans evolved over the course of the week.
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However, he got there, when the time came, Coonrod was the only one of the 60 players at Dodger Stadium who didn’t kneel. It was unexpectedly found to be a national story, and Kapler said he would continue to communicate with Coonrod as this unfolds.
“Sam and I are going to keep talking every day so that he understands my position and I want to better understand his position,” Kapler said. “These are ongoing conversations.”
