Kapler stands for anthem on Memorial Day

PHILADELPHIA -- Three days ago, Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced that he planned to sit out the national anthem to protest the country’s political inactivity on gun control, though he decided to pause the practice on Monday in honor of Memorial Day.

“Today, I’ll be standing for the anthem,” Kapler wrote in a blog post prior to the Giants’ series opener against the Phillies. “While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right. Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine.”

Kapler also announced that he planned to make donations to two organizations: Everytown for Gun Safety, which is dedicated to ending gun violence, and Heart and Armor, a foundation for veterans’ health.

In a blog post on Friday, Kapler revealed that he considered taking a knee during the national anthem last week following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults after opening fire at an elementary school. He ultimately settled on another act of protest, announcing that he would remain in the clubhouse for the national anthem “until I feel better about the direction of our country.”

Kapler did not come out for the national anthem during the Giants’ three-game series at Cincinnati over the weekend, though he hinted on Sunday that he would likely reverse course for Memorial Day, which honors the country’s fallen soldiers.

“Memorial Day is an important day in our country’s history,” Kapler said. “A special day and a unique day. I find it to be one that deserves special attention.”

Asked if he planned to resume his national anthem protest in the future, Kapler said, “I’m very comfortable taking it day by day.”