Giants manager Kapler refusing to take field for anthem in wake of Texas school shooting

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Friday he will refuse to take the field for the national anthem in a protest over the nation's political direction following this week's school shooting in Texas.

"I don't plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country," Kapler said before a series opener at Cincinnati. "I don't expect it to move the needle necessarily. It's just something that I feel strongly enough about to take that step."

Kapler said he needs more time to consider specific actions he might suggest be taken to prevent more tragedies of this type, such as stronger gun control laws.

Only seven Giants were on the field — two coaches in front of the dugout, four players along left-field line and an athletic trainer standing alongside them — when "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played before Kapler and Reds manager David Bell exchanged lineup cards. The game started after a 2-hour, 8-minute rain delay.

Earlier in the day, Kapler used his personal blog to discuss the deaths of the 19 children and two teachers killed in Uvalde.

WATCH | Frustrations rise over gun control in wake of Texas school shooting:

In a post titled "Home of the Brave?," Kapler wrote: "We elect our politicians to represent our interests. Immediately following this shooting, we were told we needed locked doors and armed teachers. We were given thoughts and prayers. We were told it could have been worse, and we just need love.

"But we weren't given bravery, and we aren't free. ... We aren't free when politicians decide that the lobbyist and gun industries are more important than our children's freedom to go to school without needing bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills."

Kapler