San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod defied the radical left by refusing to take a knee during the national anthem before his team's first game of the season July 23, citing his strong Christian faith as the reason.

What is the game of baseball becoming when the entire Giant's team disrespected the flag by taking a knee during the national anthem but Coonrod was seen standing alone with his right hand covering his heart.

Coonrod simply said that he “can't kneel before anything besides God.”

The Giant's pitcher made it very clear that he would refuse to take a knee for the Black Lives Matter movement, given what the group actually stands for.

“I'm a Christian, like I said, and I just can't get on board with a couple of things that I have read about Black Lives Matter and how they lean toward Marxism and they've said some negative things about the nuclear family…I just can't get on board with that.”

Coonrad made it very clear “that I don't see myself as above any of my teammates and I meant no ill will by it.”

“I don't think I'm better than anyone, I'm a Christian and I can't kneel before anything besides God-Jesus Christ and if I did kneel I would be a hypocrite.”

It's sad that we now live in a time when someone has to explain themselves simply for standing during the national anthem.

Coonrod shows he is a man of conviction and took a stand for America and for God against what he feels is a radical leftist force trying to destroy everything that makes our country great.

Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka put it this way, “athletes who refuse to respect the national anthem can get the hell out.”