MLB Tweets Video of NY Yankees Kneeling During Anthem

The New York Post reports on the matter:

Everyone from both the Yankees and Nationals knelt … before the national anthem.

Major League Baseball’s long-awaited opening night featured a pregame ceremony at Nationals Park that recognized a social issue that has risen to prominence since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May.

After taking batting practice in Black Lives Matter T-shirts, the entire Yankees and Nationals rosters stood on their respective baselines as The Players Alliance video promoting Black Lives Matter — featuring Yankees Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as well as the retired CC Sabathia — aired. Then came a “moment of unity,” as conceived by former Yankee and current Phillie Andrew McCutchen: A 200-yard piece of fabric extended from beyond first base to beyond third base via home plate, each man holding it, as Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman voiced words that will be shared as each ballpark opens:

“In order to achieve effective change and create a new canvas of optimism, empathy must lead the charge. This moment signifies our charge. Our brotherhood. Our unity. Equality and unity cannot be until there is empathy.

“Today, and every day, we come together as brothers. As equals, all with the same goal — to level the playing field. To change the injustices. Equality is not just a word. It’s our right! Today we stand as men from 25 nations on six continents.

“Today, we are one.”

Here's some of the reactions on Twitter to the Yankees' decision:

Naturally, there was no demonstration for the hundreds of police officers that have been injured or lost their lives recently.

Or the thousands of black people that have lost their lives to black-on-black crime.

But then again, Black Lives Matter isn't a fact-based movement.

Meanwhilte, Newsweek details how Trump has firmly stated he doesn't want to see any MLB players kneeling during the anthem:

President Donald Trump has again condemned players kneeling during the national anthem, claiming the gesture "would hurt a lot of people" in the U.S. and that Americans don't want to see protests while the flag is being raised.

Trump has been an outspoken critic of players taking a knee during the national anthem since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first knelt to protest against racial discrimination and police brutality in 2016.

Similar protests are expected across the major U.S. leagues this season, after several players and teams publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd's killing while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

On the day the MLB season began after a four-month delay due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Trump said baseball's return was a major psychological boost to the country but insisted players should not be kneeling during the anthem.

"It's great that baseball is back, and other sports are back. I hope everyone's standing," Trump said during a Thursday night appearance on the Sean Hannity Show.

"I hope they're not going to be kneeling when the flag is raised. I don't like to see that. That would hurt a lot of people in our country. They don't want to see that with the NFL, or baseball, or basketball, or anything else. There are plenty of places you can protest. You don't have to protest on the raising of our flag."

Trump's appeal fell on deaf ears, with several players kneeling ahead of both games on Opening Day. Players took a knee during a minute of silence ahead of the national anthem before the New York Yankees played the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., in the season opener.