Major League Baseball Player Suspended Over Gay Slur
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar came out onto the field during a game Saturday against the Boston Red Sox with "tu ere maricon" written in Spanish on his eye black, which translates to “you are a faggot."
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been suspended for three games after displaying a gay slur in Spanish on his eye black during a game Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. Escobar came out onto the field with “tu ere maricon” written on his eye black, which translates to “you are a faggot” in English.
Players are prohibited by the league from displaying any derogatory words or symbols on their uniforms, which would include their eye black.
Escobar, who will not be paid during the suspension, has apologized. “I’m sorry for the actions of the other day,” he said through a translator. “It was not something I intended to be offensive. It was something I just put on the sticker on my face as a joke. There was nothing intentional directed at anyone in particular.” He added that he would never do something like that again.
ESPN: Considering Escobar makes about $5 million this season, he will lose over $92,000 during his suspension.
Escobar’s forfeited salary during his suspension will be directed by the Blue Jays to You Can Play, a Denver-based organization promoting peaceful and conflict-resolving lifestyles, and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the team announced.
Escobar also will participate in an outreach initiative to help educate society about insensitivity and tolerance to others.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement: “I consistently say that baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities and that I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game’s diverse fan base deserves. Mr. Escobar has admitted that his actions were a mistake, and I am hopeful he can use this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to educate himself and others that intolerance has no place in our game or society.”
— Posted by Tracy Bloom.
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Courts & Law
The chief justice thinks he's neutral but umpires also make judgment calls.
The writer wove memoir and baseball and touched millions through his account of the Brooklyn Dodgers in "The Boys of Summer."
Houston manager and general manager are fired by team after league suspends them for electronic decoding, including during 2017 title run.
Most of our baseball equipment is made in China. Thanks to the president's trade tariffs, prices for these products are only set to climb.
Our increasingly decaying civic society has leaked into the professional sports world. Now, an even more perverse reversal is taking place.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.