Washington Nationals VP resigns over team's COVID-19 vaccine requirement: Report
Washington Nationals vice president Bob Boone has reportedly resigned from his role at the Washington Nationals rather than be forced to comply with the team's mandatory COVID-19 requirement.
The Washington Nationals were one of the first baseball teams to require vaccines for non-playing, full-time employees.
What are the details?
A Wednesday report from ESPN stated that Boone told the team that he will resign rather than comply with a COVID-19 mandate for all non-uniformed employees.
The Washington Post first reported the news of the 73-year-old vice president's resignation and noted that Boone isn't the only one leaving the team: Two scouts are reportedly being dismissed from the Nationals' organization next season due to the vaccine policy.
"The Washington Nationals are undergoing a staff shake-up after mandating a vaccine requirement for non-playing employees, including the impending departure of longtime front-office adviser Bob Boone," the Post reported. "The Nationals also told eight scouts that their contracts will not be renewed for next season, according to multiple people familiar with the situation, with two of those decisions based on unwillingness to comply with the vaccine mandate."
According to the report, the Nationals said employees were told about the policy on Aug. 14 and had until Aug. 26 to provide proof of vaccination. In an August statement, the team said, "As a company, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community."
"Unvaccinated employees are now on unpaid administrative leave and have until Sept. 15 to comply or have their contracts terminated," the Post added.
Boone told the outlet on Wednesday that he and the Nationals are "unfortunately" parting ways.
According to the Post's reporting, "[Washington Nationals] [p]layers are the only Nationals employees who can be unvaccinated and remain with the team. They cannot be subject to a vaccine requirement unless that is collectively bargained for by MLB and the players' union."
DC Police Chief Unleashes On Capital’s Lawlessness: ‘You Cannot Coddle Violent Criminals’
Whitlock: Gang-of-function mutation terrorizes Washington Nationals Park and America
Saturday night in our nation's capital, gunshots outside Washington Nationals ballpark sent fans inside the stadium scrambling for safety, suspended a Major League Baseball game, and injured three people.
Mainstream corporate media blamed "gun violence." The more likely culprit is "gang violence." Police say the shots came from shooters in separate cars firing at each other. Maybe guns were behind the steering wheels and pulling the triggers. It's more likely gang members drove the cars and aimed the weapons.
As a country, we loathe talking about gang violence … unless we're glorifying it in music. We prefer to discuss the danger of guns and the evil of the National Rifle Association. I used to do it.
The last time "gun violence" impacted a sporting event, I argued in a column that the Second Amendment had outlived its usefulness. That was in 2012. A linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jovan Belcher, shot and killed his girlfriend, then drove to the team's practice facility and shot and killed himself in front of the team's head coach and general manager.
I wrote a piece for Fox Sports stating what I believed at the time — the proliferation of handguns makes America unsafe. The great broadcaster Bob Costas read an excerpt from my column on NBC's Sunday Night Football in America.
I've never liked guns. I still don't. But the last decade has helped me understand their value in a free society. A decade ago, I took American freedom for granted. I thought the people who argued that the political left would strip Americans of basic freedoms were crazy. Now I don't. The government and Big Tech are steadfastly censoring speech they don't like. They're dictating medical choices for all of us. They've recklessly opened our borders and relaxed immigration restrictions. They've undermined respect for and support of law enforcement to the point that many major cities feel lawless.
I live in a very nice, pricey area of midtown Nashville. There have been several shootings, including a murder, within a block of my building.
I'm going to get a gun in 2021. It's inevitable.
The gatekeepers of American culture, the super elites who live in gated communities and employ private security teams, have purposely created a culture that bows to violent gang culture.
Look at the reaction to what happened at Washington Nationals Park. A fan who left the game to catch an Uber was one of the victims. Gang violence directly impacted the sports world. Are the multimillionaire social activist athletes loudly decrying what happened? Have we heard from Colin Kaepernick or LeBron James? Has Jemele Hill tweeted a word?
They're all sitting by police scanners waiting for a white cop to shoot another unarmed black resisting criminal suspect. That happens about once a month. Gang shootings happen hourly across America. But you can't gain Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook followers by taking on the Crips, Bloods, Gangster Disciples, and MS-13.
What you can do is idolize and celebrate the rappers who normalize and celebrate gang culture and gang violence. I've long had a love-hate relationship with gangsta rap music. I consider commercial rap fast food, something that I enjoy but know is bad for my health. Dr. Dre is McDonald's, Tupac Shakur is Popeyes, and Tech N9ne is Wendy's.
You can't eat fast food forever. It's going to kill you.
The glorification of gang culture is killing America. You might think it's only killing black America. That's not true.
You have to think of the left-wing gatekeepers, the Hollywood and music executives who finance the promotion of gang culture, the same way as the scientists at the Wuhan lab in China. Gangsta rap is a gang-of-function mutation that escaped the lab and is killing us all. American culture is in crisis. We've legalized a lethal dose of immorality, dishonesty, and idolatry. Our code of conduct is driven by popularity, profit, and fear.
It's safer to demonize guns than gangs. Guns don't pull triggers. Gangs do.VIDEO: Chaotic scene at Nationals game as fans panic when gunfire erupts outside Nationals Park
A chaotic scene erupted during Saturday night's Washington Nationals game against the San Diego Padres following a shooting outside the Washington, D.C. stadium. Panicked baseball fans were seen running after they heard gunfire.
Videos on Twitter show the moment that gunfire was reportedly heard outside of Nationals Park near the third base gate. At around 9:30 pm, panic-stricken fans and players from both MLB teams were seen scurrying for shelter after loud noises were heard during the bottom of the sixth inning.
Fans could be seen running onto the field and into the dugouts at Nationals Park as the PA announcer tells fans to… https://t.co/t5tKpwH8K6
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) 1626573110.0
Hope everyone is safe at Nationals park. I heard a few loud bangs and then a mass exodus. View from my roof https://t.co/MA1B7z83u2
— Jalen Drummond (@jalen_drummond) 1626572158.0
Frightened Nationals fans took cover at the report of what *sounded like* shots at Nats ballpark. But staff are tel… https://t.co/FVGmOHdkoS
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) 1626572444.0
Padres beat reporter Kevin Acee said San Diego players, including star Fernando Tatis Jr., "grabbed family members" from the stands and "brought them to the clubhouse."
Players, including Fernando Tatis Jr. Just ran into stands and grabbed family members and brought them to clubhouse. https://t.co/DlC1bSv3I7
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) 1626572200.0
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please," an announcer at Nationals Park said. "At this time we ask that you to remain in the stadium. Please remain calm."
The Washington Nationals official Twitter account stated: "A shooting has been reported outside of the Third Base Gate at Nationals Park. Fans are encouraged to exit the ballpark via the CF and RF gates at this time. We're working with law enforcement to provide more information as soon as it becomes available."
#Nationals game have has been stopped in the 6th inning https://t.co/3NicGlfA7X
— Jonathan Warner (@Jon_E_Warner) 1626572584.0
Hugo Lowell, a congressional reporter for the Guardian, reported: "Breaking: At least two people are confirmed to have been shot outside the Nationals stadium tonight, per DC Metro Police. One woman who was shot was briefly treated by first responders in the stadium."
Breaking: At least two people are confirmed to have been shot outside the Nationals stadium tonight, per DC Metro P… https://t.co/CHH9lsq3P2
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) 1626573210.0
The DC Police Department released a statement: "MPD is responding to a shooting in the 1500 block of South Capitol Street, SW, in which two people where shot outside of Nationals Park. This is currently an active investigation and it appears there is no ongoing threat at this time. Two additional victims associated with this incident walked into area hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds. MPD is on scene and actively investigating at this time."
Two additional victims associated with this incident walked into area hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds. MP… https://t.co/OgA50jB78b
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) 1626574590.0
Firetrucks and ambulance driving north on South Capitol outside Nationals Park. Police cars swarming a few blocks u… https://t.co/ygIU34Jbdr
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) 1626572666.0
Full scene. Police are now lining up on South Capitol, and they seem to be corralling eye witnesses to the situatio… https://t.co/WA5f0CU8ab
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) 1626574040.0
The Nationals game was suspended and will be resumed tomorrow at 1:05 pm.
Tonight's game has been suspended due to an incident surrounding Nationals Park.It will resume tomorrow, Sunday,… https://t.co/Y9HUSTUrmx
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) 1626574294.0