MOOKIE FRIDAY: SEPT. 4

[Shark]

Games: 11

Batting Average: .310 (13/42)

Runs: 8

2B: 1

HR: 3

RBI: 7

BB: 8

K: 12

SB: 3

Welcome back to “MOOKIE FRIDAYS”! There’s a lot to unpack since DodgerYard’s little hiatus so let’s get right to it!

Mookie Betts currently leads all MLB with 2.8 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference.com! That keeps him in the NL MVP race along with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski. In two weeks, Mookie’s batting average and on- base percentage have increased while his slugging has taken a very slight dip.

Mookie came up clutch on Wednesday night, hitting a game-tying solo homerun against the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Dodgers ended up winning and have won 18 of 21 overall, due in part to Mookie’s play.

What’s most important, though, is the actions Mookie has taken off the field these past two weeks. On Wednesday, August 26th, 2020, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers boycotted their game against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers did this to stand in solidarity with sports teams across the globe in their quest to spread the awareness of systemic racism in the United States of America and the world as a whole.

In an interview that day, Mookie stated he was not going to play whether or not the rest of the team decided to sit out as well. “For me, I think that no matter what I wasn’t going to play tonight. Just because I have to stand by my guns here. Like Doc said there’s a lot going on in the world, and change needs to be made. I have to use my platform to at least get the ball rolling. I talked to my teammates and told them how I felt, and they were all by my side.”

This was on the heels of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks were the first sports team that day to protest by boycott and many teams followed suit. Mookie reminds us there are things going on that are bigger than baseball.

In conjunction with the Player’s Alliance, Mookie Betts vowed to send his salary for August 27-28th to “Black families and communities deeply affected in the wake of recent events.” This is according to the Player’s Alliance’s instagram post on Jackie Robinson Day.

Mookie provided narration for a MLB promo video celebrating Jackie Robinson’s legacy and appreciating number 42 for opening the door for African-Americans and other minorities in MLB. The Dodgers wore 42 on their jerseys all weekend against the Texas Rangers. Stay inspired, we’ve got 12 more years with this guy!