One word and two logos.

Through the darkness of a summer thunderstorm, they carried power Thursday in Sahlen Field and to folks driving down Oak Street behind the ballpark to get to the I-190 ramp.

The scoreboard was turned to black with white logos of the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox. Above them in capital letters was the word "EQUALITY".

The scuttlebutt is the Jays were planning to display that on the scoreboard prior to the national anthems. Three hours before the game, they were testing the look. It looked great. And somebody made the wise decision to just leave the board lit that way.

Quite a statement.

The teams made another one by not playing their scheduled game, one of seven in the big leagues that didn't go forward on another epochal day on the nation's sports landscape in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wis.

Both teams met at the ballpark, with the Blue Jays hashing things out in their clubhouse and deciding to play. But the Red Sox were apparently having quite the pow-wow in that giant clubhouse compound built in the right-field parking lot off Exchange Street.

Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the club's only black player, said he wasn't playing. And that was enough for his teammates.

"It was emotional. I'm listening to Jackie, I've got tears in my eyes," said manager Ron Roenicke. "I'm listening to 'Goody' (coach Tom Goodwin) and I've got tears in my eyes. This is really an important time in our country and what are we going to do? These guys have a platform to be able to discuss some things that are serious issues in our country that we need to straighten out."

"I think it's great that players are talking about it and have a platform to talk," said Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo. "It's a big change in this society right now and I think it's awesome. ... Once we got word 'JB' and the Red Sox made their decision not to play, then we fully supported them."

The teams issued a joint statement that read: "The continued police brutality and social inequity demand immediate attention and focus from all of us – not only Black Americans and Canadians. We fully respect the decision of our players to bring further awareness to the systemic racism that contributes to police violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of colour in our communities. We look forward to getting back on the field, and using our strongest platform, our game, to amplify our message demanding meaningful change.”

The Blue Jays did not make any players available on Thursday, although first baseman Rowdy Tellez spoke eloquently on the topic Wednesday night.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, meanwhile, said his club might have made this decision prior to Wednesday's game had it been a later start and more details of the NBA walkouts were available.

"We want this to get better," Bogaerts said. "We want the world to be in a better place and we're 100 percent behind Jackie."

"We're all family in this room, more so than ever this year," added outfielder Kevin Pillar. "A lot of us are away from our actual families and we rely on each other for more than just baseball. It's made people more comfortable having these uncomfortable conversations."

The Red Sox, of course, are pillars of life in New England and they take that responsibility seriously. If they decide something is big enough to skip a game? Well, that's huge.

Roenicke was emotional and choked up while describing the impact the decision had on him.

"If you're a kid and you turn on the TV tonight and you don't see that we're playing and you ask your parents, 'Why aren't the Red Sox playing?' I hope the parents have a serious discussion with their kids and tell them what's going on, explain what's going on," Roenicke said. "We need to discuss these things more. We need to listen more and that's the only way we're going to change."

Montoyo said when he was a player, there was an implied sense of shut-up-and-play sent the players' way. Not anymore.

"If you feel like you should speak up, you should speak up," he said. "Times have changed. The media is everywhere. People speak out. There are conversations and athletes are driving it and it's great."

The scene in Buffalo was repeated in several other places around baseball, as well as the NBA, NHL, WNBA and MLS. Perhaps nowhere was the imagery more dramatic than in Queens.Β 

At Citi Field, the Mets and Marlins looked like they were going to play but instead stopped after Miami leadoff hitter Lewis Brinson was introduced. The players came out of their dugouts for a 42-second moment of silence, ostensibly in honor of Friday's Jackie Robinson Day festivities planned around the sport.

They doffed their caps to each other and departed the field, leaving only a Black Lives Matter T-shirt atop home plate.

Mets infielder Dom Smith went viral Wednesday night for his tearful discussion of the difficulties of being a Black man in 2020 America. On Thursday, he said he felt we were heading in the right direction.

"We showed our action tonight that we're not just going to shut up and dribble or shut up and play ball," Smith said. "We're going to stand for what we believe in."

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.