FAIR BALL

San Francisco Giants Manager Gabe Kapler Kneels During National Anthem

Coach made gesture on same field where now-exiled A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first Major Leaguer to take a knee.

San Francisco Giants Manager Gabe Kapler, along with several of his players, took a knee during the national anthem before the Giants’ 6-2 exhibition victory against the Oakland Athletics on Monday night. Kapler said he told the team his plans earlier in the day, adding that he wanted his team “to know that I wasn’t pleased with the way our country has handled police brutality, and I told them I wanted to amplify their voices and I wanted to amplify the voice of the Black community and marginalized communities as well. I wanted to demonstrate my dissatisfaction with our clear systemic racism in our country, and I wanted them to know that they got to make their own decisions, and we would respect and support those decisions. I wanted them to feel safe in speaking up.” Kapler took a knee on the same field that former A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell in 2017 became the first Major Leaguer to kneel for the anthem; Maxwell is now playing in self-imposed exile in the Mexican leagues after the blowback he faced for his gesture three years ago.