The Major League Baseball season began with a powerful message Thursday night when Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts teamed up with several players from the San Francisco Giants’ rivals to kneel down during the anthem. national.
Betts, who signed a 12-year, $ 365 million extension on Wednesday, becomes the biggest MLB star to kneel. Teammates Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger were seen putting their hands on his shoulders as a show of support. Betts also received Twitter support from Alex Cora, his former manager with the Boston Red Sox.
Giants kneel again
The Giants have been at the forefront of MLB protests in support of racial and social justice. Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Jaylin Davis and Antoan Richardson, along with manager Gabe Kapler, knelt before Monday’s exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics. That group grew to nearly a dozen players, coaches, and staff members on Thursday.
Kapler, Yaz, Sandoval, Pence, Slater, Davis, Gott, Peralta, Viele, Richardson remain kneeling before the hymn. #SFGIants
– Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) July 24, 2020
Kapler, who became the first manager to kneel, commented on what the moment meant to him during an in-game interview with ESPN.
“Yes, it was a really important unification … on both sides. I think we felt a sense of calm in the stadium at the time and it was really good to be around players who were so committed to changing the current state of the system. Racism in our country. It was really enriching to see the actions and steps that we are taking today by Major League Baseball, by the players’ alliance, the players association. Everyone involved did a great job. “
League-wide demonstrations
Other rallies are also planned for MLB’s opening weekend. Those started before the season opener of the New York Yankees-Washington Nationals. Players from both teams knelt along the foul lines while holding a 200-yard black tape. The act of unity took place during a moment of silence that followed a video narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.
Today, and every day, we unite as brothers. As equals, all with the same goal: to level the playing field. To change injustices. Equality is not just a word. It is our right!
Today we meet as men from 25 nations on 6 continents.
Today we are one. pic.twitter.com/vKUGdRfwgQ
– MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2020
Each player stood up while playing the national anthem.
The four teams that played Thursday night were also seen wearing Black Lives Matters jerseys before their respective games.
