Sean Doolittle Talks Trend of MLB Players' Homophobic, Racist Tweets Surfacing
After a number of MLB players have recently apologized for posting racially insensitive and homophobic tweets in the past, Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle discussed the topic during a lengthy Twitter thread Monday.
"It's been a tough couple of weeks for baseball on twitter," Doolittle wrote (warning: thread contains profanity). "It sucks to see racist and homophobic language coming from inside our league—a league I'm so proud to be a part of that I've worked really hard to make a more accepting and inclusive place for all our fans to enjoy."
Doolittle went on to say athletes shouldn't shy away from using Twitter as a platform to engage with fans but instead be more mindful of the platform they're afforded:
"It's a reminder that words matter, and that the impact the of words matter more than the intent. Rather than feeling like this platform makes us targets and we have to censor ourselves, find a way to use the platform to lift others up and make a positive impact. It can be tough for athletes to understand why these words are so hurtful. Most of us have been at the top of the food chain since HS, immune to insults. When all you've known is success and triumph it can be difficult to empathize with feeling vulnerable or marginalized."
During the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, Twitter users discovered racist and homophobic tweets Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader sent when he was 17. Hader apologized after the game, and MLB required him to attended sensitivity training.
More recently, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Sean Newcomb and Nationals shortstop Trea Turner apologized after offensive comments they made years ago resurfaced. The Braves released a statement condemning Newcomb's statements, and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo did the same for Turner:
The Braves have a four-game series against the New York Mets that starts Thursday. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported Newcomb will meet with Billy Bean, MLB's ambassador of inclusion, while Atlanta is in New York for that series.
It's unclear whether Turner will have a similar meeting with Bean or other MLB officials. The Nationals will be in New York on Aug. 24, when they begin a three-game set with the Mets.
