On Thursday, Major League Baseball players across the league continued to protest racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by police. They did so by choosing not to play seven games on Thursday's schedule.
Those games are:
- Oakland Athletics vs. Texas Rangers (announced by both teams)
- Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers (announced by both teams)
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals (announced by both teams)
- Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays (announced by both teams)
- Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (announced by both teams)
- Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays (announced by both teams)
- Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets (players held a moment of silence before leaving the field)
The Athletics, who were first to opt not to play on Thursday, released the following statement:
Social injustice and systemic racism have been part of the fabric of our lives for far too long. We have a responsibility to use our platform, to lend our voices for those who are not being heard.
We need to continue having the uncomfortable conversations and work towards being a unified force for change.
These conversations will push the boundaries and enable us to come through on the other side with impactful results.
All too often we hear about the plight of our fellow man and fail to act. It is long past due that these communities are being heard, seen, understood and supported.
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.
In New York, the Marlins and Mets initially took the field but departed after a planned moment of silence that last 42 seconds -- a reference to Jackie Robinson's universally retired uniform number. All that remained on the field after the players left was a Black Lives Matter shirt covering home plate:
Wednesday night three Major League Baseball games -- Brewers vs. Reds, Dodgers vs. Giants, Mariners vs. Padres -- were postponed as players joined their NBA brethren to protest racial injustice in America. Individual players like Jason Heyward and Matt Kemp sat out their games.There were originally 15 games on Thursday's schedule, including four doubleheaders. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports MLB and the MLBPA spoke Thursday morning to discuss the player protests.
According to video, police shot Blake, 29, multiple times in his back as he attempted to enter his vehicle. Blake remains hospitalized in serious condition, and attorneys for the family say he is now paralyzed. Blake's shooting comes after weeks of turmoil and protest following the killing of George Floyd, another Black man, by Minneapolis police. Tensions surrounding the Blake protests were tragically heightened when a teen from Illinois allegedly shot and killed two protesters Tuesday night.