BRONX, N.Y. — In case you missed in on Twitter (well aren’t you lucky?) a trending topic Tuesday was #BoycottMLB. The trending hashtag was in response to the night before when some members of the San Francisco Giants knelt during the National Anthem Monday night. On Tuesday evening, players on the Cincinnati Reds followed suit. Even the normally controversy averse @MLB Twitter handle weighed in and responded to some of those criticizing those taking a knee.
Unity 🧡🖤
#BlackLivesMatter | #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/EIELYL8JtR— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 22, 2020
Members of the @Reds knelt during the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/j4GPB7SSpq
— MLB (@MLB) July 22, 2020
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who, if healthy, is more or less the face of baseball, lent his voice to those protesting racial injustice.
Aaron Judge, Yankees discuss making a gesture on racial injustice at season opener https://t.co/odrBCskJB9
— Fox5NY (@fox5ny) July 22, 2020
In an Associated Press story, Judge said, “That’s the beauty of America, is freedom of speech and freedom to express yourself.”
“We got a special platform being athletes and being able to speak our mind and speak what’s going on in this world. Some people express it online. Some people express it with words. Some people kneel,” Judge added.
Judge also noted the importance of being able to have an open discussion on the topic.
“I think whatever message that we try to give out here is we want to try to express unity and that we’re all in this together,” Judge remarked.
“Try to have those uncomfortable conversations that we need to have and bring up those uncomfortable talking points,” Judge added.
Also in the article, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone also touched on how the team would address the issue.
“This country allows you to express yourself in many different ways, and that’s one of the beauties of it,” Boone stated.
“So I respect how anyone wants to demonstrate and whether it’s in protest or whether it’s in solidarity, whatever the reasons may be, I have no issue with that and support that. And if that comes our way as a club, I’ll stand behind whoever has a strong feeling about it one way or the other,” Boone added.
