A’s decide to sit out game, join protest of racial injustice.
After time for measured thought and a full discussion, the A’s decided to sit out Thursday’s game at Texas as a sign of unified protest against racial injustice.
“The city we play in has a long history of fighting for what is right and that’s what we’re trying to do here,” shortstop Marcus Semien said. “I feel a lot of our fans will have our backs on this one — when they turn on what they think will be an A’s game and it’s not there, they’ll understand why: To take the light off us for a night and educate yourselves on what’s going on in our country and how we can make things better.”
Three majorleague games were postponed Wednesday in the wake of Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wis., including the game between the Giants and the Dodgers. Seven games, including the A’sRangers matchup, were postponed Thursday.
“Obviously, we go out and play baseball to entertain but there’s another part of me that’s like, ‘We can no longer stay silent.’ This is not a time to just push this stuff to the wayside anymore. This is at the forefront now,” said Oakland second baseman Tony Kemp, who this year started an initiative called the +1 Effect to open up dialogue about race in America. “By sitting out this game, it’s a small building block toward what we want to see. These couple days are historic ones in sports.”
The A’s, who have the best record (2210) in the league, were to be televised by Fox on Thursday and they were scheduled to face a starter, Jordan Lyles, with an ERA over 9.00. None of that factored in when it came down to the team’s desire to take a stand. Kemp called the issues at hand “bigger than
sports.”
“You can talk all you want, but if you don’t have action with it, it’s kind of hollow,” Kemp said. “Being able to do something like this is monumental, getting guys from all walks of life, some of the best baseball players on the planet, to come together like this is special. Being able to do it together is even more important.”
The Rangers said they supported the A’s decision not to play; the teams will make up the game as part of a doubleheader at Texas next month, most likely Sept. 12. All doubleheaders this season consist of two seveninning games.
The A’s flew to Houston on Thursday evening for a threegame series that opens Friday, their travel plans unaffected by Hurricane Laura. The hurricane, which had been projected to possibly hit the city early Thursday, instead turned east toward Louisiana.
Manager Bob Melvin said his players, who were in pregame preparations Wednesday when the Reds and Brewers announced their plans to postpone their game, had not wanted to rush their decision and wanted to be united in their stance.
“There was not enough time for us to make a decision as a team,” Semien said. “When you’re in a baseball clubhouse at 6:30, everyone is doing different things to get ready for the game. We couldn’t even get everyone together at that point.”
The team did not make any players available to speak with the media after Wednesday’s win. Semien said that was because they were in the middle of an hourlong discussion about whether to play Thursday. “That wasn’t by design,” he said. “I’m glad we could clear that up — I understand it’s our obligation to be available after every game, but in that moment, we had a team meeting that overrode anything else.”
Blake, a 29year old Black man, was shot seven times in his back at pointblank range by a police officer as he approached his car, which held three of his children. According to family members, Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and he’s not expected to be able to walk again.
“Social injustice and systemic racism have been part of the fabric of our lives for too long,” A’s players said in a statement released on social media. “We have a responsibility to use our platform, to lend our voices for those who are not being heard. ... We will not take the field tonight to help raise awareness for these social issues, not just tonight, but for our collective future. This is the first step in our relentless pursuit for meaningful change.”
Semien said that many players have discussed giving their salaries for one day — Jackie Robinson Day — to various causes that address racial and social justice. He said he’d like to give his salary to any mentor programs that are helping integrate the police force in Oakland.
Three years ago, thenOakland catcher Bruce Maxwell was the first MLB player to kneel during the national anthem, acting in solidarity with former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players, and the club expressed firm support for the catcher at the time. The back of the pitching mound at the Coliseum has had “BLM” written on it all season, and a Black Lives Matter banner hangs in the outfield. The team has made significant donations to causes that support racial and social justice, and general manager David Forst stood strongly behind the players’ decision Thursday.
“I’ve talked to Marcus a lot over the last month, and I’m hopeful that every action our players and athletes across the country have taken is going to have the intended effect and educate people and be a call to action,” Forst said. Of Blake’s shooting, Forst said. “I don’t think you can see what’s happening now, see that video, and not be outraged. The way our players have handled themselves . ... that’s exactly what you want, for your players to have a unified voice. I’m incredibly proud they’ve taken this stance today.”