It has been over a week since George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd’s tragic death has sparked outrage across the nation, as men and women of all ages have come together to stand up against the systematic oppression that permeates our society.

Despite the widespread movement against police brutality and racial inequality, Major League Baseball has remained remarkably quiet about these issues. On Wednesday, the league finally released a statement via social media, pledging their commitment to “engage our communities to invoke change”.

This message strikes the right tone on the surface, as the MLB is planning to do their part to address the issues that exist in our society today. At the same time, there were some clear omissions in the polished statement that baseball is making.

The words ‘police brutality’ were not mentioned once in the entire carefully-worded statement. The statement says all of the right things about standing up against racial injustice, but does not speak to any ways that they actually plan to do so. Hopefully the MLB backs up the statement with actions, but until then, these words could prove hollow.

On the other hand, players around the league have been vocal against these pertinent issues, making the most of the platform that the game has afforded them. Mets like Marcus Stroman and Pete Alonso have been at the forefront of these discussions, with fellow players such as Dexter Fowler, Giancarlo Stanton and Lucas Giolito making their own statements as well.

 

The MLB needs to support their players in this fight against police brutality and racial inequality by taking more action then simply releasing a statement.

Hopefully we see the MLB really take advantage of their power and influence, as they have a voice to reach an audience of people that is different than that of the other sports leagues like the NBA. Actions speak louder than words, especially during the turbulent times.