Major League Baseball followed in the NBA’s footsteps on Wednesday as multiple teams decided not to play due to the Jacob Blake shooting. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds were set to face each other, but both made the decision to boycott. Two other games were called off — Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants.
“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 MLB said in a statement. “Major League Baseball remains united for change in our society and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”
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Blake, a Black man from Wisconsin, was shot seven times by police on Sunday. When Blake was shot, he was attempting to get in the driver’s side of his vehicle with three of his children inside. Blake survived the shooting but is paralyzed from the waist down. The three officers involved are on leave.
“The players from the Brewers and Reds have decided to not play tonight’s baseball game. 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,” Milwaukee and Cincinnati players said in a joint statement at Miller Park. With the shooting happening in Wisconsin, the Brewers wanted to make a statement by doing anything they can to make changes off the field.
“We need to pause and reflect on the events that are causing such pain and hardship to our local community and country. The entire organization is committed to putting the spotlight on racial injustice, inequality, and the necessity for change,” the team said. Brewers player Ryan Bruan said what the Bucks did on Wednesday led them to make the move. According to ESPN, Braun spoke to Bucks guard Pat Connaughton to inform him they are also boycotting their game and that “we wanted to be united with them in what they started.”
As the MLB season started in July, several teams showed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Giants manager Gabe Kapler kneeled with his team during the national anthem while the Red Sox put up a giant “Black Lives Matter” billboard outside of Fenway Park.
