MLB star Sean Doolittle perfectly summarizes why white Americans should listen to black activists

Sean Doolittle gets it.

Sports have become an increasingly political realm over the past couple years, with everything from NBA players donning shirts that read "I Can't Breathe" to Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.

These protests have rankled some fans. Perhaps such fans should listen to Doolittle. In fact, many Americans regardless of sports fandom could learn a lot from the Oakland A's pitcher.

Doug Glanville of ESPN.com published a piece Wednesday exploring the intersection of baseball and activism. It's worth a full read, but we want to keep the spotlight on Doolittle here.

Many white Americans would be wise to study his empathy and genuine curiosity. Glanville asked why more MLB players don't participate in protest statements. Here's Doolittle's reply, which we chopped into more digestible paragraphs but is otherwise presented in full.

As far as "I Can't Breathe" or "Black Lives Matter" or the Kaepernick anthem demonstration, I feel uncomfortable speaking to that. I'd rather listen. Here are the facts though: The league is composed of over 60 percent white men. When so much of the league has a background or comes from a place where there might be more privilege and opportunity, it's very difficult to relate to something they have never seen nor experienced. That's human nature.

People are slower to educate themselves and be informed about something if they have never experienced it. They might even downplay the level at which those problems exist. But that certainly doesn't let people off the hook. My only experiences with police are when they stand guard in our bullpen or when they escort us to the airport. No one has ever questioned my legitimacy as a citizen or a homeowner or a pedestrian.

But I can't pretend it doesn't happen just because it has never happened to me. If we are willing to have an open mind and empathize rather than immediately getting defensive, then maybe we can start a far more constructive dialogue that hopefully leads to addressing these problems.

Boom. Now there's a guy who gets it. Hopefully his thoughtful quote will spread far and wide.