The world looked on as athletes around sports did what they thought was right. Across the NBA, MLB, WNBA and NFL players have boycotted their respective games, practices and competitions in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday.
The subsequent fallout of this week’s unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, came to the Cubs’ doorstep on Wednesday as Cubs’ right fielder Jason Heyward pulled himself out of the lineup prior to the team’s series finale against the Tigers.
Heyward came to his decision after meeting with manager David Ross and addressing the team just minutes prior to first pitch. Heyward was the only member of the team to sit the game out.
“I told them, ‘I can’t tell you for certain what’s gonna happen tomorrow,’” Heyward said. “‘I can’t tell you what’s to happen the next day, but tonight I need to be a part of what’s going on in my community.’ And I have full support from them — teammates, coaching staff, everyone. I encouraged them to go out there and play the game tonight.”
It’s clear this week’s events have had an impact on Heyward and the Cubs clubhouse. Heyward is not only a teammate and one of three Black players on the team, but also one of the Cubs’ emotional and vocal leaders.
“I would say this is not the end of this conversation,” Ross said.
Baseball remained on the back burner after Wednesday’s game as Ross fought back tears while addressing the media when discussing Heyward. And first baseman Anthony Rizzo voiced his frustrations after seeing the same things continuing to happen.
“Just have some common sense in the world. I feel like we’ve lost that all common sense,” Rizzo said. “It’s just so extreme one way or the other about which way you go. Just put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a second. And just see the other side one time. And whatever side you’re on, it doesn’t matter. Just have some common sense.
“I’ve gone through a lot with my high school and [expletive] doesn’t change. It’s just the fact of the matter. Politicians don’t really give a [expletive] about us. All they care about is their own agenda and it’s just the way it is. I’m sorry to use that language and go off, but it’s upsetting.”
Rizzo, an alum of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was vocal after the shooting there in 2018 and worked tirelessly with students and people in the Parkland community to provide change when it came to gun control.
While Rizzo’s comments are not directly related to this week’s events, they play an important role in the discussion of seeking change.
Despite the efforts of athletes to end police brutality, the slow-moving culture has ultimately forced those athletes to take matters into their own hands.
The attention now turns to the next steps as athletes continue to look for ways to make a difference, bring awareness and change outside of their respective sports.
Major League Baseball had demonstrations across all 30 clubs on Opening Day in support of Black Lives Matter, but have faced scrutiny as those images were replaced by corporate sponsors the next day.
The juxtaposition sends a bad message, not only to fans, but to the league’s Black players, many of whom are members of The Players Alliance. The Players Alliance is a group of 100 black current and former professional baseball players, who formed to use their platforms to create increased opportunities in their community.
We cannot stand idly by and wait for change✊
— ThePlayersAlliance (@Player_Alliance) August 27, 2020
Join The Players Alliance in our movement: https://t.co/GF2xq96IZp pic.twitter.com/kwZCsLtXo5
The future is not clear for players like Heyward or other athletes trying to be part of a bigger goal of societal change. But what remains clear is that athletes have begun to realize their power and what took place Wednesday will one day be remembered as such.
“I couldn’t see this coming today,” Heyward said. “I’m living this. This is literally a life. Just like you guys are asking questions. I got my own questions. And that’s kind of what I put on to my teammates tonight.
“I think I’ve talked about it before, sports is sometimes a distraction, and not in a bad way,” Heyward said. “It’s a good thing, but when you have causes that need to be spoken on and need to be acted on, I think it’s huge that sports [allows us] to use the platform that we have in the right way.”
