No matter how many snowflakes like Ben Shapiro whine about outspoken players removing their “place of comfort,” the days of just shutting up and playing are long gone. The wokeness (not a pejorative term) of professional athletes, and even those at the prep and college levels, is increasing all the time as fame and wherewithal give them a platform to create change in their sports and the world around them.
Though it’s not a matter of social justice, baseball players have been very vocal lately when it comes to negotiations with the league on the financial parameters of the nascent 2020 season.