George Floyd's death reverberates around MLB
Anthony Castrovince
@castrovinceMessages of empathy. Messages of anger. Messages praying for peace and pleading for change.
In the midst of the national uproar over the death of George Floyd, social media messages from baseball players and personnel have contributed to the conversation about racism, police brutality and unequal treatment before the law.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli tweeted his reaction:
What happened in the city the Twins call home has resonated across the country.
Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler, who is African-American, eloquently voiced the fears and frustrations of many:
Fowler¡¯s message had an impact on his white teammate Adam Wainwright, who got in touch with Fowler over the phone to show his support:
Wainwright¡¯s wife, Jenny, posted a photo and a moving message about the couple¡¯s adopted son, Caleb:
Nike¡¯s anti-racism ad -- ¡°For Once, Don¡¯t Do It¡± -- was shared by many in the sports world, including Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is from a mixed-race family:
Quite a few of Stanton¡¯s fellow players echoed that sentiment, including ¡
Mets first baseman and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso:
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle:
Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams:
The Twins tweeted a statement:
The A's tweeted a statement:
The Giants tweeted a statement:
Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman:
Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty:
White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito:
And Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who succinctly summarized the feelings of many African-Americans:
The impact of these words will ultimately be dependent on those who hear them. But Major Leaguers have a platform, and many of them were not afraid to utilize it in the wake of George Floyd¡¯s death.