MESA, Ariz. (AP) – The Oakland Athletics are starting their day in a makeshift clubhouse classroom, among the first major league clubs to undergo mandatory domestic violence training.
Players arrived at HoHoKam Stadium around 7 a.m. Thursday ahead of the 90-minute class that began at 8. Designated hitter Billy Butler is in favor of baseball’s proactive approach on the issue.
“Absolutely,” he says. “If it helps one guy in here, it’s done its job.”
The classes are being taught in English and Spanish through San Francisco-based Futures Without Violence, which works to prevent domestic and sexual violence and child abuse. Instructors arrived with slide projectors and passed out business cards to the players.
Tim Slavin, chief of business affairs of the Major League Baseball Players Association, also attended the session.