MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Twins inducted Torii Hunter into the team’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, and the popular outfielder concluded his acceptance speech with a plea for unity in the wake of two recent police shootings that have sparked unrest across the country.
Speaking in front of a near sellout crowd before the Twins hosted the Cleveland Indians, Hunter wrapped up a joke-filled speech by addressing shootings, one of which happened in a Twin Cities suburb.
“This is the United States of America,” Hunter said. “The word united means togetherness. United we stand, divided we fall. A house divided cannot stand.”
Philando Castile, who is black, was shot and killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights during a traffic stop on July 6. His death followed the police killing of another black man, Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana., and has sparked demonstrations across the country. Just last weekend, demonstrators shut down a major highway connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul to try to draw attention to the situation.
“We have to take action and we have to make change,” Hunter said. “But before we make change in our country, we have to change ourselves and our hearts.”