Earlier this month, Taylor Trammell and Jayce Tingler had a conversation in the visiting dugout at Petco Park. Trammell, a Padres prospect, did most of the talking. Tingler, the team’s first-year manager, asked most of the questions. Then they went from sitting in the dugout to standing on the field. The national anthem began to play.
It was the evening of July 4. Amid Major League Baseball’s return, the Padres had opened formal workouts the day before. Now, an intrasquad scrimmage was about to start, and the Padres were preparing for a socially distanced season by walking through the usual pregame rituals.
As “The Star-Spangled Banner” echoed off empty seats, Trammell stood by the right-field foul line with his hands behind his back. Tingler, positioned near home plate, mirrored his stance. To the few people watching, it might have looked like common anthem etiquette.
To Trammell, a Black outfielder, it meant something else. Since the…
Credit: Source link
