MLB Players Stood For National Anthem For So Long The Game Was Delayed

While many athletes around the country are kneeling in protest during the National Anthem these days, players from the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals participated in one of baseball’s dumber traditions as they remained standing on the field well after the Anthem ended on Wednesday. Jose Martinez of the Cardinals, a 28-year old with 8 major league plate appearances and Carlos Estevez of the Rockies, a 23-year old with a 5.02 ERA, had a stand-off after the Anthem finished Wednesday afternoon. The pair stood on the field as their teammates played along and cheered and the umpires briefly delayed the start of the game.

How do baseball players straddle the line between ultra-seriousness and complete pointless wastes of time like this? It’s really quite amazing. Meanwhile, if these two had glanced at each other during the actual game, both benches could have cleared.