Mookie Betts, Pablo Sandoval among players to kneel for national anthem on Opening Night
On Thursday night, the 2020 MLB season got underway with an Opening Night doubleheader that culminated with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants.
Before first pitch, a video recorded by players in support of the Black Lives Matter movement was played on the scoreboard followed by the national anthem, during which several players knelt to protest racial injustice.
Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, Giants players Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence and Mike Yastrzemski were among several players who were joined by their manager Gable Kapler in taking a knee.
Players were permitted to wear “United For Change” and “Black Lives Matter” patches on their uniforms and the pitcher’s mound was painted with a black “BLM” block text below an MLB logo.
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Betts decided to kneel before his first game as a Dodger since being acquired