Giants manager Gabe Kapler, players kneel during anthem
OAKLAND, Calif. — San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler and several of his players knelt during the national anthem before Monday night’s exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics.
Right fielder Jaylin Davis and first-base coach Antoan Richardson, both of whom are Black, also took a knee. Shortstop Brandon Crawford stood between them with a hand on each of their shoulders. Davis held his right hand over his heart, while Richardson, who is from the Bahamas, clasped his hands in front of him.
It was on the same field that former A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell in 2017 became the first major leaguer to kneel for the anthem.
“We’re proud of our players and staff for continuing to participate in the national conversation about racial injustice,” Giants president Farhan Zaidi said in a statement to The Athletic. “We support those who knelt to peacefully protest racial injustice and those who stood to express love of country. We do not see these as mutually exclusive sentiments and believe the freedom to express both is what our country is about.”
Kapler, beginning his first season managing the Giants after two disappointing years guiding the Phillies, didn’t discuss his plans to kneel in a pregame session with media.
Kapler has been outspoken about social injustice, racial issues and athletes’ roles in helping spur positive change.
“They felt strong about the issue, so they knelt,” A’s pitcher Mike Fiers said.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality and police mistreatment of minorities. He was roundly criticized for years, but public sentiment has changed since George Floyd’s death in May. Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for more than seven minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and saying that he couldn’t breathe.
Meanwhile in San Diego, Los Angeles Angels reliever Keynan Middleton also knelt during the national anthem before his game against the San Diego Padres.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.