Keep Baseball Politics-Free: Don’t Turn MLB Into . . . BLM
Baseball in 2020 was supposed to be America’s best opportunity for a diversion away from the year’s madness (“A united state,” July 24).
Instead, somehow, it appears to be another arm of the unrest playing out in our cities all across this great nation. The need to show support for a movement seriously puts into question the validity of baseball’s purpose.
In recent months, the Black Lives Matter movement has been compromised and represents — to many people — an organization with awkward principles and interests.
While many can view the symbolism as a way of calling attention to difficult issues, there are more, I believe, who just want to one thing that doesn’t add to the unrest all around us.
Craig Schwab
Glendale
Many Major League Baseball fans that I know have threatened to boycott the baseball season over the opening day “festivities.”
The Black Lives Matter movement was already insulting to many Americans like me who don’t feel like they are remotely racist.
Then, on opening day of one of America’s favorite past times, that notion is further rubbed in our faces with an on-field demonstration against “systemic racism” — which the vast majority of us already do not support.
Is it presumed by our silence that we do support racism?
Dennis Kerbis
Staten Island
Yankees baseball is finally back. Enough already with the Black Lives Matters sign, BLM patches everywhere and black ribbons flowing. I just want to see my boys,
who just want to play baseball.
I want to get away from the screamers, the looters and the incessant graffiti. I want to look at the pitcher, hear that ball fly out when it’s hit on the screws, watch the dance of the double play and the run like hell from first to home on a single.
Stop with the incessant BLM patches.
Loretta Pierson
Southborough, Mass
I’m done — after 64 years of being a diehard, faithful Yankee fan.
The kneeling debacle on opening day by overpaid, self-entitled players was vomit-worthy.
Paul Gates
Bloomingdale, Ind.
I have been watching the Yankees since I knew what a baseball was. I am now 66 years old.
I could not believe what I saw while watching the opening-day game against the Washington Nationals. The Yankees team took a knee. This was a disrespectful act against every veteran.
The great American pastime just became the great American waste of time. I hope next season, when the fans are permitted to return, the stadium
looks like it did on opening day — empty.
Thomas Bregenzer
Lake Ariel, Pa.
Just a few minutes into the Giants/Dodgers game, I saw a BLM promo, a BLM logo etched on the pitcher’s mound, then the kneeling with black cloth and the great finale of several players kneeling for our National Anthem.
My 2020 baseball season just ended. I turned it off. Maybe if people refuse to buy anything advertised on these games MLB will put a stop to the nonsense. Otherwise, it will lose fans, just like football.
Jerry Mallach
Livingston, NJ
After waiting months for the season to begin, it was a terrible shock to see the kneeling Yankees and MLB supporting the BLM gang.
Is MLB so obsessed with being “woke” that it failed to realize that the organization just gave the finger to its fans? Well, I’m giving the finger back.
America comes before baseball. Shame on the kneeling Yankees. Shame on Major League Baseball.
Joe Labuda
Tucson, Ariz.