Yankees and Rays forego live-tweeting game to post gun violence facts
During MLB games, the job of a team's official Twitter account is simple: Tweet how highlights for the big moments, gifs for the smaller ones and the final score at the end, win or lose.
The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees opted to try something different.
Following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers, the two teams announced they would forego their usual game coverage on social media on Thursday in favor of a series of facts about gun violence from nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety.
The Rays, who were also among the most vocal MLB teams in the aftermath of the George Floyd shooting, also announced they had made a $50,000 commitment to Everytown.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 26, 2022
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2022
A small sampling of how that ended up playing out:
Firearms were the leading cause of death for American children and teens in 2020.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 26, 2022
Every three hours, a young Black man dies by gun homicide.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2022
Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns, and more than 200 are shot and injured.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 26, 2022
The tweets were also responsible for creating the most dissonant Twitter moment in the history of the platform.
The Uvalde shooting has increased calls for gun reform across the country, including in the sports world. The NBA's Miami Heat held a moment of silence for the victims before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, then urged their fans to contact their local representative in favor of common sense gun control laws. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr ripped Republican lawmakers for blocking a background check bill that has already passed the House.
Rays pitcher Brooks Raley, who attended Robb Elementary, described to reporters his shock at learning about the shooting, but declined to comment on the political side of the moment.