According to Jared Diamond, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds have decided not to play their scheduled game for tonight, August 26th.
After the Brewers decided that they would not play in tonight’s game, the Reds followed with the agreement that they would sit out as well, likely postponing the contest that was scheduled.
The decision comes following the decision first by the Milwaukee Bucks to boycott their scheduled game against the Orlando Magic in the NBA Playoffs. The Magic agreed to boycott the game as well, and soon after that a league-wide hold was placed on all games tonight.
The Bucks originally agreed as a team to boycott their game in the wake of protests and looting that were incited by the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, close to the team’s home in Milwaukee. Blake was shot in the back seven times after police were called to help alleviate an altercation between two other people. Blake survived the shooting, but the incident has once again called attention to the racism and violence that disproportionately impacts black people in the United States, including at the hands of police. The Bucks and the NBA seek to emphasize the importance of racial justice in a peaceful and noteworthy manner by choosing not to play.
After the NBA unilaterally cancelled playoff games tonight, the Brewers, as MLB’s team local to Wisconsin, met to decide whether they would choose not to play tonight for the same reason. Now that one game has been cancelled, it is possible that others will be too:
UPDATE: The Seattle Mariners have agreed not to play their game tonight against the San Diego Padres.
While the Cubs and Tigers are still playing their game, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward has chosen to sit out tonight for the same reason.
Similarly, Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp has also decided not to play tonight regardless of whether the Rockies game is played:
UPDATE 2: The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have also postponed their game tonight, bringing the league total to three postponements:
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
