Twins pause home opener at 8:46 to honor George Floyd with moment of silence
The Minnesota Twins honored George Floyd with a moment of silence during Tuesday’s home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.
With the game in the fifth inning, the Twins halted the action at exactly 8:46 p.m. local time. The time denotes how long former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck when Floyd died on May 25.
Floyd was a resident of Minneapolis at the time of his death.
The #MNTwins halted play at 8:46 p.m. for a moment of silence in George Floyd’s memory. Floyd was killed after an officer held a knee on his neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. pic.twitter.com/2chtQThx0Z
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) July 29, 2020
Powerful images. 8:46 pm in MIN. Moment of silence to remember George Floyd during Cardinals-Twins. Screenshots of @FSMidwest pic.twitter.com/O8SUjzsV78
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) July 29, 2020
Prior to the game, the teams shared a message supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The national anthem was performed by Jovonta Patton, a Gospel artist and Minneapolis native.
Home opener National Anthem@Twins baseball 🔜 pic.twitter.com/njMdqPlTWR
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) July 29, 2020
Several Twins were seen kneeling during the anthem. Manager Rocco Baldelli also took a knee.
At their home opener, several member of the #Twins kneel during the national anthem including Byron Buxton and manager Rocco Baldelli
(pic via AP Images) pic.twitter.com/lgy7peANJT— Andy Mac (@AndyMacSports) July 29, 2020
“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the Black national anthem, was performed by Sounds of Blackness.
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Following Floyd’s death, the Twins have been at the forefront of the social justice movement.
In June, owner Bill Pohlad committed $25 million to social justice causes on behalf of the Pohlad Family Foundation.
"Black people have experienced oppression and racism for far too long in this country," Pohlad wrote in a statement. “We condemn racism in all its forms, and we are firmly committed to helping to enact meaningful change. We know this will take time and effort, and we are committed to this work beyond this seminal moment in our country's history."
In addition to the George Floyd tribute, the Twins also honored healthcare workers who have been on the frontline during the COVID-19 outbreak.
We tip our caps to all the heroes working on the front lines of COVID-19, especially these local heroes who threw out tonight's first pitch. Thank YOU! pic.twitter.com/ATIf1NGt1o
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 29, 2020
The Twins went on to win the game 6-3 behind home runs from Jorge Polanco and Josh Donaldson.
Even though there were no fans in the stands, they delivered a heartfelt message and a memorable home opener.
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