San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he will refrain from coming out on the field with his team for the playing of the national anthem "until I feel better about the direction of our country".
Kapler, a member of the Red Sox for four seasons, including 2004, wrote on his website today that his decision is not meant as a grand gesture. "It's just something that I feel strongly enough about to take that step.''
Kapler admitted he "felt like a coward" two days ago, standing on the field for a pre-game moment of silence for the 21 people massacred in the US's most recent school shooting, for abandoning his principles and allowing his "discomfort [to] compromise [his] integrity".