Gabe Kapler Among Giants to Kneel During Anthem Before Exhibition vs. A's

The actual game took a backseat when manager Gabe Kapler was among a number of San Francisco Giants who knelt during the national anthem prior to Monday's exhibition against the Oakland Athletics.

Kapler knelt along with first base coach Antoan Richardson and outfielders Jaylin Davis, Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater. What's more, shortstop Brandon Crawford stood but placed his hands on the shoulders of Davis and Richardson.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Kapler became the first Major League Baseball manager to kneel during the national anthem as a means of protesting police brutality and systemic racism.

Kapler said he had a meeting with players, noting, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, "I wanted them to know that I wasn't pleased with the way our country has handled police brutality. I told them I wanted to amplify the voices of the Black community and marginalized communities as well. I told them that I wanted to use my platform to demonstrate my dissatisfaction with ... clear systemic racism in our country."

Davis took to Twitter on Tuesday to elaborate on his decision:

Crawford explained to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle his decision to put his hands on the shoulders of Davis and Richardson:

"The anthem was something that had been discussed a little bit as a team and was something I personally went back and forth with for a while. Ultimately, I chose to stand because [wife] Jalynne's brother was in the military when he was younger and standing for the flag and what it is supposed to represent is a big deal for them, so it is for me too. That does not at all mean that I don't support the movement, or condone police brutality or inequality. I talked to Jaylin about putting my hand on his shoulder to show my support for him and the movement while still standing for the flag because of family being in the military. He was good with it and appreciated it. Antoan happened to be next to me also so I put my other hand on him for the same reasons. He thanked me for it afterwards. The biggest thing we talked about as a team was that we would support each other and be there for each other. Whether or not we kneel, I think that’s what this is all about. Being there to support and love each other."

Giants President Farhan Zaidi issued a statement supporting Kapler and the players:

The league also took to Twitter to answer those who criticized the Giants for kneeling:

While former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made national headlines when he knelt during the anthem to protest police brutality and racism, Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News noted former Oakland catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first and only MLB player to do so in September 2017.

As for Davis, he wrote an essay titled "The Stories That Are Hardest to Tell" in June that detailed the racism he has faced during his baseball career.

He pointed to the obvious instances of racism, including slurs that were directed toward him, but said there have been plenty of subtle examples, such as "feeling the stares of people at an upscale restaurant. Or trying to calm the pounding in your chest whenever a police car appears in your rearview mirror."

While Maxwell is the only baseball player to kneel during the anthem prior to a regular-season game, it would not be a surprise to see that change in 2020 as the fight for social justice and against systemic racism has sparked worldwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty appeared on Matt Holliday's Table Forty podcast (h/t Tom Franklin of KMOX in St. Louis) and said it is "absolutely" possible some players will kneel this year and expressed regret more didn't support Maxwell when he did in 2017.

"It's not a political thing, it's literally a human rights thing," Flaherty said. "If that is something that is looked down upon, if it's looked down upon to advocate for human rights in that way, I don't really understand that. I think everybody is starting to come together."