Twelve hours ago, in the Giants’ 13-2 victory over the Padres, the two coaches became embroiled in an argument that led to Richardson’s dismissal amid an incident he would later say was “racist”. “I just want to make it very clear that by no means do I think Shildty is a racist,” Richardson told reporters next to Shildt on Wednesday morning. “What I was trying to do was just realize how words affect certain communities, even though they may not have bad intentions. It just helped us become more aware of what these things mean.” The situation emerged at the peak of Tuesday’s third inning. Shildt, who spent the last three seasons as the Cardinals’ coach before being hired as a consultant in San Diego, is serving as a third-team coach, while Matt Williams is recovering from hip surgery. He seemed to be shouting in the San Francisco sandbox after the Padres were annoyed by the Giants’ decision to steal the second base while leading by nine in a row. Richardson responded to Shield from the boat and was then sent off by third-grade referee Greg Gibson. (Richardson’s dismissal would make some history, as the Giants’ Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to enter the pitch as an on-field coach, replacing Richardson on the first base.) After the game, Richardson called reporters to the Giants Club long after it closed to explain the moments leading up to his ouster. “Obviously a historic night with Alyssa coaching the first base,” Richardson said. “I think it was awesome. I just wanted to clarify what happened tonight that put Alyssa in the game.” Richardson explained that Shildt was looking on the boat to find left-handed Alex Wood, who has a long-standing relationship with Shildt. The two then exchanged strong words that brought Giants manager Gabe Kapler into battle. “[Shildt] he said, “You have to check this m —- f —–“, and at that point in time, I went to the top of the top step and said, “Excuse me?” Richardson said. “Because I could not believe what I heard. And at that moment, Gibson, the head of the crew, decided to throw me out of the game. “I say this because I think his words were disproportionately unwarranted and implied racism when he called me ‘this m —– f —-‘, as if I were going to be checked or a piece of property or a slave.” A day later, Shildt and Richardson arrived early in Oracle Park to discuss the situation. Richardson said he did not believe Shildt was a racist, but wanted to convey the results of his speech. Shildt wanted to make it clear that “in no way was the shape or form in the context of what was said last night.” Hours later, Shildt and Richardson spoke to reporters behind the house in Oracle Park, before the first show of the Giants-Padres series finale. “I do not know Antoan’s legacy; I can not walk in his shoes,” said Shildt. “I can only have the empathy and love that I have and have always had in my life. I used inappropriate language, which is my biggest problem last night, and I apologize for that.” Richardson praised Silde’s receptivity and willingness to engage in dialogue, hoping to put an end to the controversy while shedding light on an important issue. “This is something more we both want to use as an opportunity to raise awareness – that sometimes words that are harmless are very insensitive to others,” Richardson said. “And it’s very important to be aware of what we are saying. Once again, Shildty has been a big supporter of the black community. I appreciate him appropriating him and understanding the impact of his words.” A day later, the Giants were upset about Richardson’s ejection. The Padres, meanwhile, were disappointed that Steven Duggar had stolen a base and Mauricio Dubón had taken a nine-point lead – an obvious breach of the game’s unwritten rules. But any animosity between Richardson and Shildt had obviously been canceled. “We are here to play baseball,” said Shildt. “And the only thing I’ve always liked about our game is that regardless of your skin color, regardless of your socioeconomic background, regardless of the language you speak, and now, thankfully, regardless of your gender – we had a beautiful Last night with Alyssa … I think it will come out good, because now the reality is that we have handled this difficult situation in public, as men with solutions and without any hostility.It is a great example of how people communicate together . “
