Dunn, Lewis among Mariners vocalizing thoughts this year on racial injustice in America
For African American baseball players with the Seattle Mariners, dealing with racial injustice is nothing new. Justin Dunn, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher who came over from the Mets as part of a trade that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to New York in exchange for a crop of prospects, recalls having conversations with his family as young as 5 years old.
“At 5, I was learning how to handle a police stop,” Dunn said during a Zoom call with reporters on Saturday afternoon. “For the African American culture, it’s stuff that we’ve been seeing for so long in our life. In a way, it’s almost become normal. We’re finally tired of accepting that as normal.”
As the Mariners continued with Day 2 of their “Summer Camp” practice schedule, ramping up for a shortened 60-game season beginning later this month amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s death had prompted waves of protests across the country and internationally.
This time feels different. It’s something Black players have noticed in the return to the clubhouse. This time — maybe for the first time — they feel more comfortable speaking out against racial injustice.
“Finally realizing it’s OK for me to speak up has been one of the biggest things that I’ve had to deal with, personally,” Dunn said. “For so long, I felt like I had to suppress it and keep it down. Finally being able to speak and be open, walk into a clubhouse with 10 other African American players and be able to share stories with them, feel comfort to talk to them about anything is really beneficial for me in my first year up here and fighting in the situation that I am, because I can have a more candid conversation with Dee (Gordon) and he can understand more where I’m coming from as an African American child and things along those lines.
“I think it’s been good. we’ve had a lot of progress and I’m excited to get back out here and have baseball in my life at the same time.”
Kyle Lewis, another top Mariners’ prospect and African American player who was a bright spot in the Mariners’ 2019 season during his September call-up, echoed some of the sentiments of Dunn.
“I really am thankful for the fact that we’ve been able to express this in a way that I don’t think it’s been expressed before and able to come together in a way that I haven’t seen before,” Lewis said. “You’re really starting to see a movement that has been unprecedented and we have a big opportunity. I just want to be a part of that and help that continue to move forward as we continue to try to come together and fight for social justice, as well as the team to give love to one another.”
Mariners’ manager Scott Servais said he has taken the off time to learn from the team’s Black players.
“I thought (M’s broadcaster Dave Sims) did a great job hosting the call with our players and really created a forum for those guys to express their opinions and share some of their stories,” Servais said. “I know from a personal level, I’ve needed to make changes to just my awareness and understanding and kind of re-learn the history of what’s going on. It’s something I’m very aware of. I’m proud of the fact that the Mariners have a group of young African American players. they all have different backgrounds. I really want to take the time to celebrate that and learn from those guys.”
Servais said as a white man, he realizes it’s not possible to walk in the shoes of the club’s African American baseball players and hopes he’ll be able to use his platform to positively affect change.
“The more we talk about it, the more comfortable we get and the more we understand,” Servais said. “It’s something we’re going to address a lot as a team. The history in our country needs to change. Going forward, I believe it will. I’m proud of our players for speaking up on it.”
DUNN, LEWIS WILL SEE PLENTY OF ACTION THIS SEASON
Dunn threw a live batting practice session on Saturday morning. Since spring training, he has continued pitching in Arizona before making his way up to Seattle.
“I’m definitely ready to go,” Dunn said. “I understand there’s still room to go with building up, and really locking in the pitches and fine tuning, getting into game shape. I feel strong. I definitely feel like I haven’t regressed in any way since spring training, which I’m really happy about. But really now just getting back to competing, starting to light that fire inside and understanding that it’s time to go and we’re getting ready for Game 1 here in three weeks.”
With the Mariners planning a six-man pitching rotation during the shortened season, Dunn figures to slot in as the No. 6 pitcher and have a shot to prove himself. Dunn, for his part, isn’t ready to pencil himself into the rotation just yet.
“I’m definitely excited,” he said. “But also, at the same time, I realize it’s nothing that’s just going to be handed to me. I have to put the work in, continuous effort day in and day out to be the best that I can be. As long as my name is in the conversation, make the decision tough for (Servais) and (pitching coach Pete Woodworth) to either put my name in or take my name out, but just do everything I can day and day out to give the best audition possible.”
Lewis said he was able to keep his normal routine at home in Atlanta, working with speed coaches and weight training coaches in private sessions.
“I feel great, right where I want to be, right where I set my goals to be, as far as where my swing feels and everything,” Lewis said. “I feel like I was ready for the season, getting it going pretty good during spring training, hitting some balls out of the park. I wanted to try to maintain that.”
It could be easy to see how Lewis might be frustrated with having the baseball season cut in half, after the way he burst onto the scene in September. But the outfielder is taking a more glass half-full approach to everything.
“It’s not frustrating because I still believe I’m at that same point, that same level,” Lewis said. “So just biding my time, whenever that opportunity comes. … I’ve always felt like I had talent, the ability to impact the team in a positive way. So that’s always the goal. When I’m able to accomplish that, it’s always satisfying and definitely what I pride myself on trying to be as a player.”
This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 6:09 PM.
