Coonrod explains why he didn’t kneel.
LOS ANGELES >> Citing his faith as a Christian man and his desire to remain consistent in his beliefs, Giants reliever Sam Coonrod explained why he didn’t kneel during a pregame moment of unity at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
“I meant no ill will by it,” Coonrod said. “I don’t think I’m better than anybody. I’m just a Christian. I believe I can’t kneel before anything but God, Jesus Christ. I chose not to kneel.
I feel if I did kneel I’d be a hypocrite. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
Prior to the playing of the national anthem on Opening Night, every player and coach from both the Dodgers and Giants held a long piece of black fabric, and all but Coonrad also took a knee. Coonrod held the fabric along with everyone else but remained standing.
The moment of silence was intended to support the Black Lives Matter movement, which Coonrod said he has had difficulty embracing.
“I’m a Christian,” Coonrod said. “I can’t get on board on a couple of things I’ve read about Black Lives Matter, how they lean toward Marxism and said some negative things about the nuclear family.”
Following Thursday’s 8-1 loss to the Dodgers, Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he had a conversation with Coonrod regarding his decision to remain standing and stressed the importance of supporting all of his players, regardless of their views.
“Sam and I have spoken every day and I support him expressing himself and sharing his beliefs,” Kapler said. “I support all of our players sharing their thoughts and it means we’re able to have a conversation about really important topics when we’re constantly communicating. Sam said that he’s going to be talking to people about these issues more because of last night’s events, and I’m happy to share my position with him.
“Black Lives Matter is to me not a political issue but a simple statement of something I believe to be true and it’s a movement. I want to work toward ending racial inequality. I want us to promote social justice and it’s really important that we amplify voices of marginalized groups and create pipelines to increase diversity in this industry in particular.”
One bad inning
Entering Dodger Stadium and losing will never give the Giants a warm feeling, but after Thursday’s 8-1 blowout loss, San Francisco can try to take an optimistic look at the reality that it’s only a single game back in the National League West with 59 left.
The reality? The talent gap between the two sides is enormous and the Giants must play a near-flawless game to give themselves a chance. In the midst of a seventh-inning meltdown, they played their way out of an opportunity.
Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts scored the goahead run in the seventh by racing from third to home on a fielder’s choice, beating a throw from second baseman Donovan Solano. Betts slid in ahead of a tag from catcher Tyler Heineman and gave the Giants a taste of what they’ll see for years to come a day after the Dodgers announced they’ve signed the former American League MVP to a 12-year, $365 million extension.
Walks, mental errors and a series of defensive miscues led to a five-run seventh inning for the Dodgers.
Heineman steps in for Posey behind the plate
When Giants catcher Buster Posey announced he would sit out the 2020 season after adopting identical twin girls with his wife Kristen, many fans expected the Joey Bart era to begin right away. It was the first opener with someone other than Posey behind the plate since 2010.
On Opening Night, Heineman, a minor league free agent, was the name on the lineup card while Bart, the organization’s top prospect, was back in Sacramento at the team’s alternate camp.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi reiterated his belief that Bart needs more time to develop.