Mediaboss Marketing

Cincinnati Reds pitchers Matt Bowman and Jesse Biddle explain why theyre speaking out on social justice issues. Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Matt Bowman doesnt have a large social media platform. He has a little more than 2,000 followers on Twitter, with most of his tweets from four or five years ago.

With people protesting around the country for racial equality, Bowman felt it was a moment when he needed to speak out. He was inspired by social media posts from outspoken Black players around the league and wanted to publicly show support for them.

He reached out to teammate Jesse Biddle, who had nearly 9,000 followers on Instagram, and a few other players about matching donations to social justice charities, like the NAACP, Equal Justice Initiative and the Southern Poverty Law Center, along with a clean-up fund in Minneapolis.

It just seemed like I had been quiet for too long and it matters that I use those platforms for important causes like this, Bowman said. Its not really an excuse to sit there and be like, Well, I dont really use my Twitter or my Instagram. Itslikenow is the time.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Matt Bowman (67) stands for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

The group of six players raised about $7,000, matching $3,500 in donations. Its not an earth-shattering number, Biddle said, but they wanted to continue the conversation for the Black Lives Matter movement. They wanted to follow the lead set by Black players like Amir Garrett, Dexter Fowler, Jack Flaherty and Cole Tucker, supporting civil rights and speaking against police brutality.

Take advantage of this special subscription offer

Bowman and Biddle both are white relief pitchers, but they wanted to be active allies to their Black teammates. Biddle has been outspoken in support of Black Lives Matter on Instagram. Bowman said that reading Biddles posts served as encouragement that you dont have to be a person of color in order to be supportive andjoin the conversation.

I think Ive always seen myself as an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement, but I definitely never felt as motivated to speak my mind on a social platform before, Biddle said. Ive always felt motivated in an interaction, one-on-one, but Ive definitely drawn the line on making it social, making it something that is outward-facing. Thats just not OK anymore.

Thats a privilege that I had that opportunity that I could just close my eyes and go to sleep and not think about that.

When Bowman started matching donations, which he did on his own before asking Biddle and others to join him, it was because he didnt want to sit on the sidelines. He was unable to protest, so raising money was a meaningful alternative.

Biddle attended a couple of protests in Los Angeles with his fiance. He admits there were some slight concerns about contracting the coronavirus, but the longer he was there, the more he realized its so much bigger than anything else thats going on."

At the end of the day, if youre going to call these players of color, your Black teammates, your brothers and youre going to hang out with them and go to dinner, all that stuff, why are you not there for him now? Biddle said. Why are you not trying to really understand their struggle? I dont know. I just really got kind of fed up with it and I think a lot of people are.

Cincinnati Reds non-roster invitee pitcher Jesse Biddle (80) stands for a portrait, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

Was there any fear of backlash for speaking out on social media?

Ive lost a couple hundred followers, Biddle said. Ive had some people in my direct messages telling me how Im perpetuating some leftist propaganda. But I dont need them, right? They can take a walk. Im standing up for what I believe in. Im speaking out on something that Im very passionate about and Im also just trying to spur a conversation.

Thats all this is about. Just shining the light on what is a racist America and what needs to change.

NBA players wore I Cant Breathe shirts during pre-game warm-ups in 2014 and have several stars, including LeBron James, speak out on racial inequality issues. The NFL saw Colin Kaepernick lead silent protests when hekneeled during the national anthem.

Major League Baseball, which featured just 7.7% African-American players on Opening Day rosters last year, has been much quieter on racial issues without many white players using their platforms to speak out.

Ive been asked a few times 'what makes you feel like this is the moment to start talking and start being more social about it?' Biddle said. I think that, in part, its because were in quarantine right now and we have the time and energy and there really is no excuse for you to not give that time and energy to this issue. But then you see the George Floyd video and if that doesnt hit you on a visceral level then Im not really sure what to tell you.

MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day each April, but there haven't been sustained conversations about race in the sport. Too often, the conversation doesn't extend beyond Black players.

There are a lot of role models like Amir, who will have this thrust upon them, no matter what, Bowman said. Just by virtue of being Black and being in the league, they are looked to as role models and have to have an opinion on these things and are asked a lot. It would seem like a shame to the both of us to sort of exercise that privilege of being able to excuse ourselves from an uncomfortable conversation.

So, I think we both really wanted to make sure that we join the conversation. Even if it felt somewhat uncomfortable at first, just because we know our teammates around the league, many of them do not have that choice to join or not join.

Biddle and Bowman expect more outspoken players on social justice issues once the season returns, following the lead of Black teammates. Conversations will continue in clubhouses. Its a time for players to listen and learn about things they havent experienced.

"Its more just I realized how little I knew," Biddle said."I didnt really even know much about Juneteenth and its such an important day in our history. Im so confused as to why thats not something that were talking about more."

See the original post:
'Now is the time': Cincinnati Reds' Matt Bowman, Jesse Biddle speak out for Black Lives Matter - The Cincinnati Enquirer