MLB players taking visible stance on social justice
Baseball hasn’t always been at the forefront of the social justice movement in recent years. For a sport that proudly recognizes Jackie Robinson — who broke MLB’s color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers — this has long been a source of frustration.
But in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and with the MLB in the position of having the American sports world largely to itself for the next week, players and coaches are taking a more active approach to supporting racial justice.
Among the examples: San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler and several players kneeling during the national anthem before an exhibition game and several Dodgers — including NL MVP Cody Bellinger and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw — speaking out about racial injustice in a video message.