Three MLB Games Postponed by Players in Response to Police Shooting of Jacob Blake
Shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the court for Game 5 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Brewers have followed suit and are sitting out Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal.
The moves come after police shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, multiple times in the back Sunday in Kenosha, Wis.
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The Reds have also agreed not to play Wednesday's game, meaning there will be no forfeit for either team.
The Brewers and Reds released a joint statement Wednesday night confirming the players' decision to not play.
“The players from the Brewers and Reds have decided to not play tonight’s baseball game," the statement read. "With our community and our nation in such pain, we wanted to draw as much attention to the issues that really matter, especially racial injustice and systemic oppression.”
The Brewers' decision sent a ripple effect throughout MLB. After reports came out that the Brewers-Reds game would not be played, players from the Seattle Mariners decided not to play Wednesday night's game against the Padres.
Mariners outfielder Dee Gordon expounded on Seattle's decision not to play against the Padres, and revealed the team had unanimously chosen to sit out.
Later on Wednesday night, the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants was also postponed, according to Passan.
The league released a statement after the games' postponements, offering support for the players' decisions.
“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight," the statement read. "Major League Baseball remains united for change in our society and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”
Shortly after the Bucks' decision, the NBA announced that the rest of Wednesday's playoff games would be postponed. The Brewers made their decision during a team meeting that took place around 4:30 p.m. CT, according to Diamond.
Ahead of his team's series finale against the Tigers, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward decided not to play after talking with manager David Ross, according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma. Heyward encouraged his teammates to play, however, according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.
Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp posted on Instagram that he would also be protesting Wednesday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, saying he's sitting out, "in honor of all of my fallen brothers and sisters at the hands of police brutality."
Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler was scratched from the team's lineup before Wednesday's game against the Royals after he, too, decided not to play. St. Louis right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty also sat out the game, though he was not scheduled to start.
