As more professional athletes have begun weighing in on social justice issues, coaches have started speaking out as well. Following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd while in police custody by a Minneapolis police officer, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has spoken out.
Baldelli, the AL Manager of the Year this past season, spoke out on the tragedy that saw Floyd die in police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck. In the tweet, Baldelli called on people to remember Floyd’s name and to never forget what happened.
The Minneapolis Police Department fired the four officers involved in the arrest on Tuesday and the FBI is now investigating the incident.
George Floyd video is graphic. Viewer discretion advised.
We’ve seen in recent years a willingness from NFL and NBA players to speak out in these moments. Most recently, Tom Brady joined several athletes and coaches in calling for a federal investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery.
We often don’t see MLB players or managers speak out publicly in moments like this, but this tragedy clearly struck close to home for Baldelli. As more athletes and coaches start putting themselves out there, this could now be the start of MLB getting more involved in social justice issues.