New York Mets player Pete Alonso wore a shirt emblazoned with a biblical verse during a warmup before a match against the Atlanta Braves Friday, while numerous teammates have worn Black Lives Matter shirts during previous warmups.
The National League Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby champion, Alonso wore a shirt with the words “Love Your Neighbor” from Mark 12:31.
Center fielder Brandon Nimmo joined Alonso in wearing the biblical shirt.
Several fellow players who have worn Black Lives Matter shirts include pitcher Marcus Stroman, third baseman Jeff McNeil, shortstop Amed Rosario, designated batter Yoenis Céspedes, infielders Luis Guillorme and Andrés Giménez, center fielder Jake Marisnick, and others.
“Get out of here with that ignorance. Of course everybody’s life matters but we’re focusing on the widespread racism in our country right now. The question is, why does the black lives matter movement bothers you enough to have to say all lives matter?”
He also told Instagram users:
“I’ve done a lot to thank our frontline workers and first responders and have never promoted violence,” he wrote in another comment under the post. It’s an amazing concept that you can be against the systematic racism in our country and fight for something to change as well as see the good in people and see what our first responders that have all citizens best interest at heart do for our communities.”
Last year, ahead of a game on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Alonso provided custom-made cleats to his teammates with the words “We will never forget.”
