Several major league managers came out in support of Gabe Kapler this weekend when the Giants skipper said he would protest the national anthem following the Uvalde school shooting.
But at least one manager didn’t approve of Kapler’s protest, as White Sox skipper Tony La Russa said Saturday night that “the flag and the anthem are not appropriate places to try to voice your objections.”
“I think he’s exactly right to be concerned … with what’s happening in our country,” La Russa said, per ESPN. “He’s right there. Where I disagree is the flag and the anthem are not appropriate places to try to voice your objections.”
Kapler on Friday told reporters that he would remain in the clubhouse for the national anthem “going forward.” He later wrote in a blog post on his website he is unhappy “with the state of this country.”
“I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country” – Gabe Kapler pic.twitter.com/J1MdlVL3XI
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 27, 2022
We’re not the land of the free nor the home of the brave right now. https://t.co/XilHsz4s0W
— gabe kapler (@gabekapler) May 27, 2022
Before Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, Kapler didn’t say what he would do on Memorial Day. His Giants play in Philadelphia on Monday and Kapler say he make take the field for the anthem before San Francisco faces the team he previously managed.
“I’m very comfortable taking it day by day,” Kapler said. “I think I’ll just decide what makes the most sense in the moment.
“Memorial Day is an important day in our country’s history and a special day and a unique day,” he said. “I find it to be one that deserves special attention.”
La Russa, 77, said protesting the anthem is disrespectful and that those who do don’t “understand” the sacrifice of the service members in the military.
“Some of their courage comes from what the flag means to them and when they hear the anthem,” the Hall of Fame manager said. “You need to understand what the veterans think when they hear the anthem or see the flag. And the cost they paid and their families. And if you truly understand that, I think it’s impossible not to salute the flag and listen to the anthem.”
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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