According to USA Today, Bob Melvin, who assumed ownership of the team in October 2023, said that all players are now required to stand for the national anthem before every game.
“Listen, we’re kind of a new team here, and we’ve got some cool players,” Melvin told the outIet.Sending a message to the other team that we’re prepared to play is more important. The men should be prepared to go right now. That’s got some character.
The previous policy of manager Gabe Kapler, who was the first coach in major league history to kneel during the national anthem, stands in sharp contrast to the new one.
Taking the field before every game became too much for Kapler after the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
After George Floyd’s death in 2020, he had also knelt down before. If Kapler doesn’t feel better about our country’s path, he says he won’t stand for the national anthem in the future.
“No matter what happened before, it’s just something I’ve come to accept and embrace,” Melvin said.
