After 21 people – including 19 children – were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he would not be coming out for the national anthem until he felt better about the “direction of the country.”
On Saturday, White Sox manager Tony La Russa said that voicing objections at a time for honoring the flag and anthem was “not appropriate.”
“I think he’s exactly right to be concerned … with what’s happening in our country. He’s right there,” Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Kapler, according to ESPN.
“Where I disagree is the flag and the anthem are not appropriate places to try to voice your objections.”
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
While he disagrees with Kapler’s form of protest, La Russa quickly points out that he has “great respect” for his counterpart in San Francisco. In La Russa’s mind, the issue with protests during the anthem comes down to respect for veterans.
“Some of their courage comes from what the flag means to them and when they hear the anthem. 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,” La Russa explained.
“And if you truly understand that, I think it’s impossible not to salute the flag and listen to the anthem.”
La Russa is the second-winningest manager in the history of MLB and a three-time World Series champion.