Two MLB teams took a knee before the national anthem during the league’s opening night game to support the Black Lives Matter movement and silently protest racial injustice, New York Post reported.
Members of the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals stood on their respective baselines before each man dropped to a knee in a “moment of unity” , as conceived by former Yankee and current Phillie Andrew McCutchen
During Thursday night’s opening game in Washington, a video touching on racial inequality was played inside the empty stadium due to the ongoing pandemic.
Players on both teams, who all wore Black Lives Matter t-shirts during the batting practice ahead of the game, took their places on their baselines as The Players Alliance video played.
The clip featured various MLB players, including Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Nationals second baseman Howie Kendrick, who all spoke in support of BLM.
As the video played, the players on the field held a 200-yard piece of black fabric that extended from home plate to beyond first base, as well as beyond third.
Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman also featured in the video, voicing words which will be played as each ballpark reopens:
“Today, and every day, we come together as brothers. As equals, all with the same goal — to level the playing field. To change the injustices. Equality is not just a word. It’s our right! Today we stand as men from 25 nations on six continents. Today, we are one.”
Following Freeman’s speech, players on the field knelt — some on one knee, others on two — for exactly one minute of silence.
Then they all rose to their feet again for the pre-recorded playing of the national anthem.
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While the game was played, pitches were thrown to home plate from the pitcher’s mound, where the letters “BLM” were also reportedly stencilled. At the end of the night, Yankees won with a score of 4-1 before the game was cut short due to rain.
Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton explained that the teams kneeling together took on personal meanings for everyone involved.
“To have everyone kneel at the same time, it was to give hope to any overall reason you want to do it,” he told USA Today . “For me, it’s for the racial injustice and Black lives in general. And a lot of other things going on. We all have individual reasons to do so.”
He added, “I believe with everything we did beforehand, wearing the Black Lives Matter t-shirts, the patches and the unity ceremony before, that’s what was decided.”
Many people applauded the players for coming together in such a poignant display of unity.
“For a league to take this stance is incredible,” this Twitter user wrote. “Before or during — kneeling is powerful and I’m so proud of the @Yankees and @Nationals. It’s NOT political. It’s NOT divisive. It’s a real emotion, movement.”
Another added, “Best thing I’ve seen today! There is hope for America! ✊ ✊ Together, we are stronger!”
However, other people weren’t so impressed and stated they would no longer watch baseball because of the players’ pre-anthem kneeling.
“You have lost the support of many patriotic people,” this person wrote. “There’s a time and place for stuff like this and it’s not on a ball field. Kneeling only shows one way people are feeling. You picked a side instead of staying neutral.”
“The side you alienated will no longer be supporting you.”
The league opener wasn’t the only game that saw players take a knee.
During another MLB game on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants also knelt before playing began, and they also held a black cloth, presumably in place of holding hands during this time of social distancing.
h/t: New York Post
