© Jayne Kamin-Oncea | 2019 Feb 19
Before their first exhibition game of the short preseason, the Giants made a different kind of statement.
Six Giants, including and led by manager Gabe Kapler, were spotted kneeling for the national anthem before Monday’s matchup at the Coliseum. Also taking a knee in Oakland were outfielders Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater and Jaylin Davis, first-base coach Antoan Richardson and hitting coach Justin Viele. Brandon Crawford put his hands on Davis’ and Richardson’s shoulders.
Kapler, whose parents were civil rights activists, had signaled he would have “difficult” conversations with the team in the clubhouse following the death of George Floyd in police custody and the ensuing fury and protests that spilled out across the country and globe.
Following the game, Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi defended both those who chose to kneel and stand, in a statement released through the team’s Twitter account.
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 21, 2020
Like Kapler, Zaidi is not afraid to make a statement. He was one of a handful of executives who displayed a “Black Lives Matter” sign in his office during the MLB Draft. Zaidi also provided a strong rebuke to Guy Phillips, the Scottsdale City Council member who mocked George Floyd’s dying words during a speech.
“I mean, fuck that guy,” he told The Athletic. “You can quote me on that. Fuck that guy.”
Zaidi will join KNBR on Thursday at 5 PM just two hours before the Giants open the season in Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers.