Giants’ players deal with ‘tough’ talks
Protest: Team debated decision to skip game
When the Giants brought a player before reporters to explain Wednesday night’s decision to not play their game against the Dodgers, they picked Mike Yastrzemski. That was not random.
The secondyear player, who staunchly supports Black Lives Matter and kneels for every national anthem, has emerged as a vocal leader within the clubhouse and was a locus for the many group discussions among the Giants and with Dodgers players Wednesday.
Now, the 30yearold must join other strong voices in the clubhouse, including manager Gabe Kapler, to prevent any fractures resulting from
some players wanting to sit out Wednesday’s game and others who were determined to play.
“Supporting one another was a major theme of yesterday’s discussions,” Kapler said Thursday morning.
Asked how he ensures that differing opinions on an issue so divisive do not fester in the clubhouse, Kapler said, “I think that’s constantly being talked about. It’s a message we’re sending continuously and we believe in strongly.”
The Giants and all teams had to confront potential chasms when the season began and some players chose to kneel for the anthem but others did not following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The political landscape has heated even more since then as the presidential election gets closer and Americans draw lines over Black Lives Matter and support for law enforcement.
The Giants did not want to highlight internal differences Wednesday, instead focusing on a joint statement with the Dodgers supporting the players’ decision not to play.
But differences there were in a Giants clubhouse that includes some players who are passionate about amplifying their anger over social injustice and others who are not and just wanted to play ball. Some wanted to play because they have different views. Others were contemplating novel ways they could make statements on behalf of Black Lives Matter on national television.
“You have to have hard conversations, and that’s exactly what they are because there are so many people with different experiences, from different countries, from different backgrounds, and everybody had their different path to get here,” Yastrzemski said Thursday. “And now we’re all crossing and expected to fall into one mold as professional baseball players.”
In the end, Yastrzemski said, the general feeling centered on mourning and refusing to accept social injustice and “killings for no reason.”
The Dodgers really drove the decision not to play after outfielder Mookie Betts and manager Dave Roberts, both Black men, declared they would not participate and teammates rushed to support them.
Giants President and CEO Larry Baer told The Chronicle he was in constant communication with the league office in New York and said neither the commissioner nor ESPN, which was supposed to televise the game, tried to influence any decisions.
“There was zero pressure to do anything other than respect the players’ sentiments and support the players’ sentiments,” Baer said.
“From our perspective, we respected where the players came out on this, Dodgers players, Giants players. In an important day in America, they did what they felt was right, and we supported that.”
Given Yastrzemski’s prior statements, there was little doubt where he stood, and he said the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., deeply affected him.
“I’ve been thinking about this nonstop since it happened,” he said. “I barely slept last night. I don’t know how to separate it. It’s important to see this is not affecting just one community. It’s affecting our country. That shows the importance of this. It’s very easy to pass off situations that aren’t affecting us personally.
“I think there’s a civil way to make your point and make change. I’m not a politician. I’m not a bill writer. I’m just an athlete with personal views. … I hope something good will come out of this.”
Kapler praised Yastrzemski’s role in Wednesday’s deliberations.
“One thing Yaz does extraordinarily well is he listens, respects his teammates and he’s not necessary looking to change anybody’s views,” Kapler said.
“He leads in a very thoughtful and very empathetic and very understanding way,” Kapler said. “Yaz has some strong opinions and expresses those opinions through his actions and his words. But he also understands other people have different views and different opinions on things.”
“I way think to make there’s your a civil point and make change.”
Mike Yastrzemski, Giants outfielder