White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito voiced support for athletes who are boycotting games to speak out against racial injustice and police violence, but said the Sox haven’t met to discuss it among themselves.
They more than likely will, though.
“It does give me hope seeing baseball players speaking up, standing up,” Giolito said. “But I think that there’s a lot more that needs to be done.”
The Sox played a day game Wednesday and were off Thursday. They reconvene Friday to open a series at home against the Royals.
“I want to continue to raise awareness, talking about it like I’m talking now, not being afraid to express my opinion and how I feel about it, obviously, as a white man, as a white baseball player,” Giolito said on a Zoom call Thursday. “But at the same time, there’s a lot more education that I need to have. I need to read more, talk to my teammates more about it. We haven’t really totally addressed it as a team or anything yet. I think that’s something we’ll be doing and go from there.”
Giolito pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates Tuesday, the peak moment of a wildly entertaining and eventful stretch in which they’ve won nine of 10 games. The Sox have dealt with the global pandemic, and while social unrest boils over all around them, they have remained focused on their jobs.
“I don’t think anything going on is a distraction,” Giolito said. “It’s real life. It’s what’s going on in this country. It’s been kind of weird because a couple of days ago I had a really good game and like I want to enjoy that and celebrate that. We have been.
“Our team is playing well, momentum is good. But at the same time, there is a lot going on outside of baseball that is very important. ... We are going to have to have a discussion on the team and see where everyone’s head is at.”
Giolito said he hadn’t discussed it with Tim Anderson, the Sox’ only African-American player. But he will.
Players around baseball are using their platform to call attention to racial injustice. Games between the Reds and Brewers, Mariners and Padres, and Dodgers and Giants that weren’t played Wednesday were to be made up in doubleheaders Thursday.
The Brewers were first to not take the field to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“[This started with] the NBA, and I should say the WNBA, too, because the women in the WNBA really seem to be on the forefront as far as pushing for change, social justice. It’s obviously a very strange time in this country,” Giolito said. “What went down with Jacob Blake, that’s unacceptable. That shouldn’t be happening in a developed country. A man getting shot seven times in his back, that just shouldn’t happen.
“But you see what’s going on, athletes continuing to use their voice to speak up, whether that just be in an interview or with what we see going on with players boycotting, or whatever you want to call it, not just in the NBA and WNBA, but now it’s creeping into MLB and even further. It’s part of a bunch of people saying enough’s enough, that this isn’t something that should continue to go on in this country.”
NOTES: Following their weekend home series against the Royals Sox have their top two starters, Lucas Giolito (Monday) and Dallas Keuchel (Tuesday) lined up to face the AL Central favorite Twins in a three-game series that begins Monday in Minneapolis.
- Jose Abreu owns a 10-game hitting streak, Tim Anderson has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and Eloy Jimenez has a seven-game hitting streak.
- Off to a slow start, 37-year-old designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (182./250./429 hitting line) is showing signs of breaking. His last eight hits have been for extra bases, including four homers.
