ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty believes players could kneel for the National Anthem when MLB games start later this month in a shortened 60-game schedule.
The right-hander joined former Cardinal Matt Holliday on his "Table Forty" podcast recently. He told Holliday kneeling isn't a political statement, but rather a statement about human rights.
The 24-year-old also spoke to local media on Wednesday for the first time since Cardinals Summer Camp began at Busch Stadium. When asked if he or the Cardinals plan to do something similar to Cincinnati Reds players wearing "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts, he replied, "Something is in the works."
Flaherty has become a big advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement since the death of George Floyd in May. He added that he wishes that players had supported Bruce Maxwell in 2017 when the former Oakland A's catcher kneeled for the National Anthem to protest racial injustices in the country.
"Nobody really had Bruce’s back, back then," Flaherty says. "Guys were unsure about what was going on and how to come together and how to do it the right way. I don’t know what to say to Bruce. All props to Bruce for what he did and standing up for what was right. It’s a special thing that he did.
"We kind of wish that we had been there for Bruce and had his back and we were able to come together better back then the way we are now.”
Maxwell is the only Major League Baseball player to kneel during the National Anthem. But he may not be the last, as Flaherty says it's "absolutely" possible that a player will kneel during the anthem this season.
"It’s not a political thing, it’s literally a human rights thing," Flaherty says. "If that is something that is looked down upon, if it’s looked down upon to advocate for human rights in that way, I don’t really understand that. I think everybody is starting to come together."
In a text to Mark Saxon of The Athletic, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he would support Flaherty if he decided to follow Maxwell’s lead and kneel during the anthem.
Flaherty explained that he was part of a text message group with MLB players that he says they've discussed what's been happening since George Floyd was killed in May.