By Matthew Meusel
Boston University News Service
On a six-game win streak, the Red Sox were set to face the Minnesota Twins on Monday, but less than an hour before the first pitch, the game was postponed in light of a fatal police shooting near Minneapolis.
In a statement, the Twins organization explained that the game would not be played “out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday,” referring to the shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot during a traffic stop on Sunday in Brooklyn Center, 11 miles from Target Field.
The #MNTwins issued the following statement regarding the decision to postpone today’s scheduled game against the Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/7U1S2P928j
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 12, 2021
While the incident is under investigation, body camera footage released on Monday by the Brooklyn Center Police Department showed an officer shooting Wright during the stop. Seconds before the gun was fired, the officer is seen shouting “taser” multiple times.
With protests following Sunday’s incident, the Twins decided to postpone the game against the Red Sox, despite the many fans who had already entered the stadium and pitchers who were warming up on the field.
The replies to the Twins statement on Twitter elicited mixed feelings. While some thought it was shameful to postpone a match that close to game time, others thought it was the right decision.
“Out of respect”. You don’t respect shut when you cancel the game 10 minutes before opening pitch and make your fans go out into the reason you cancelled the game.
— Christian Ryan (@cryan2791) April 12, 2021
Although no new date has been set for the game to be played, the Red Sox are scheduled to play the Twins in another game Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. EST.
“It was one of those where everyone understood the decision,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said.
Other major sports leagues also followed suit after the Twins announcement. The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets in Minneapolis and the NHL’s contest between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues in St. Paul were also postponed to a later date.
The timing of Wright’s death also coincided with the Derek Chauvin trial currently taking place in downtown Minneapolis. Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd in May last year.
