The recent racial protests in the country have seen sports team…
Photo Credit: MLB, Instagram/MLB
Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in July 2020, amid record high levels of political division in America. More on this here: https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2021-10-15/us-most-divided-nation-in-worldwide-survey-essential-politics
The recent racial protests in the country have seen sports team joining the call for social justice. The Major League Baseball is no different, as the Black Lives Matter logo was emblazoned on the field.
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However, some fans have harshly criticized the move, claiming that politics and sports should remain separate.
One person commented: “So I can’t watch a baseball game without seeing a BLM logo shoved in my f***ing face? Go f**k yourselves MLB.”
Photo Credit: Instagram/MLB
Another one said, “Basketball ball also, it’s across the entire side of the court. What used to be a place we could all be part of a community TOGETHER cheering for our favorite team & sport has become another platform for politics & causes. A place of unity now part of the problem = a place of division.”
Another person wrote, “I couldn’t even enjoy the game, so I changed it. It was bad enough with espn’s ticker telling you about changing redskins name and all these other players speaking out on ‘social injustice.’”
Photo Credit: Instagram/MLB
Some suggested a better solution, “Hey @MLB, sell me a hat with the BLM version of the logo and donate the proceeds. #BlackLivesMattters.”
According to CNN, the logo was stamped onto the pitcher’s mound in the World Series game on July 23, with defending champions Washington Nationals going up against the LA Dodgers.
The left sleeves of some players’ jerseys from the New York Yankees, Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants included patches that read “Black Lives Matter” and “United for Change,” and an “inverted MLB logo where the silhouetted batter is black.” This is the logo’s first ever appearance on the field.
Photo Credit: MLB
The MLB started with a pair of games on July 23, with the New York Yankees going first against the Washington Nationals and then the LA Dodgers against San Francisco Giants. Both games saw players from each team protesting racial inequality and showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts was the only one from his team who took a knee during the National Anthem, a gesture that was heavily applauded.
Sources: CNN
