Mariners vote unanimously to postpone game against Padres in protest of Jacob Blake shooting
The Mariners informed the Padres on Wednesday evening they would not play their scheduled game in San Diego in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting, following the lead of other professional teams who also opted not to play games Wednesday.
“The Seattle Mariners respect the team’s decision to not play tonight’s game,” the club wrote in a statement just after 5 p.m. Wednesday evening. “The Seattle Mariners stand with our players as they speak out with their words and actions against social injustice.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee tweeted just after 4 p.m. that Mariners and Padres players met on the field to discuss canceling the game.
Mariners veterans Dee Gordon, Kyle Seager and Marco Gonzales were seen meeting with Padres players Austin Hedges, Tommy Pham and Manny Machado in a pregame feed from Petco Park.
The Mariners voted not to play the game, Acee wrote. Gordon tweeted just after 4:30 p.m. the Mariners, who have eight Black players on their active roster and 11 on their 40-man roster, unanimously voted not to play.
The Brewers and Reds, and Giants and Dodgers also opted not to play, while NBA and WNBA games and MLS matches were also postponed in the wake of Blake’s shooting. Blake, a Black man, was shot multiple times by police Sunday in Kenosha, Wis. while attempting to enter his vehicle reportedly with three of his children inside.
“There are serious issues in this country,” Gordon wrote on Twitter. “For me, and for many of my teammates, the injustices, violence, death and systemic racism is deeply personal. This is impacting not only my community, but very directly my family and friends. Our team voted unanimously not to play tonight.
“Instead of watching us, we hope people will focus on the things more important than sports that are happening.”
The Mariners and Padres are now scheduled for a doubleheader Thursday, with the first of two seven-inning games scheduled for 12:10 p.m.
“We understand the Mariners decision to postpone tonight’s game and we support the players’ efforts to use their platform to bring awareness to the very serious issue of racial injustice impacting our country today,” the Padres wrote in a statement Wednesday evening.
Major League Baseball also released a statement following the postponements of the three games.
“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 reads. “Major League Baseball remains united for change in our society and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”
Taijuan Walker, who was the scheduled starter Wednesday for Seattle, Gonzales, starting pitcher Justin Dunn, starting pitcher Justus Sheffield, rookie reliever Aaron Fletcher, second baseman Shed Long Jr., shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Braden Bishop were among players who made social media posts of support of the postponement and the Black Lives Matter movement Wednesday.
“Enough is enough,” Crawford, Dunn and Long wrote on their Twitter accounts.
“Some things are bigger than sports,” Fletcher wrote.
“Glad to be apart of this organization and group of people,” Walker tweeted after the postponement was officially announced by the club. “Thank you for standing with us always!”
“I am extremely proud to be a part of this group,” Gonzales tweeted. “We have listened, loved, and supported one another through this tough time. But I’m heartbroken for my brothers and teammates who fear for their lives and their families lives on a daily basis. This isn’t about baseball right now. It’s about justice, equality, and understanding. Thank you to our Mariners family for supporting us and standing up for what’s right.”
The Mariners have made a continued commitment to uplifting their players as the fight for racial equality continues across the country.
In June, among the protests and demonstrations across the nation that followed the police killing of George Floyd, four Mariners players sat down with broadcaster Dave Sims for a candid conversation about their experiences as Black men in life and in baseball.
The “Black Voices in Baseball” panel premiered on Juneteenth, and remains available on the Mariners’ YouTube channel.
In the weeks since, the Mariners and MLB have continued to emphasize the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Mariners players have continued to speak out about racial inequality on the field and off, and the need for progress.
“I’m really thankful for the fact that we’ve been able to express this in a way that I don’t think has been expressed before, and able to come together in a way that I haven’t seen before,” Mariners rookie outfielder Kyle Lewis said during summer camp. “I’m really starting to see a movement that has been unprecedented. We have a big opportunity and 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.”
When the Mariners hosted the A’s in their home opener in Seattle in July, players and coaches wore Black Lives Matter shirts during the pregame ceremony, and several players knelt and held up their fists in unison as a message in support of the movement played on the video board in center field at T-Mobile Park.
Mariners manager Scott Servais noted ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues earlier this month the importance of continuously encouraging players to speak up.
“It’s good organizationally for us to promote those guys and give them a voice and a platform to speak up,” he said.
The Mariners also opened applications for their On BASE Hometown Nine program that day, which was created with the input of players to uplift young student athletes of color in the community.
“The Mariners commitment to improving the youth baseball and softball landscape requires taking action to combat the systemic inequities that contribute to the growing inaccessibility of youth sports,” the club’s website says. “The Mariners and Mariners Care strive to reflect social justice and inclusion in all our youth baseball and softball programs through the On BASE initiative.”
Each year, the Mariners will accept nine incoming eighth-graders from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and provide them with financial, professional and social support in their baseball or softball careers and in the classroom.
A full list of program eligibility requirements is available on the Mariners’ website. Applications must be submitted by Sept. 7, and finalists will be selected and notified by Sept. 16.
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 4:50 PM.
