Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader gave up a home run to Seattle Mariners slugger Jean Segura during his appearance in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday. But he was also involved in a more serious matter afterward.
Throughout the game, various tweets from Hader's account were unearthed that included racist, homophobic, or otherwise insensitive remarks. Hader's family even changed their wardrobe during the game:
Some members of Josh Hader’s family, wearing his All-Star replica jersey, have taken them off and been given generic jerseys without his name on the back.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 18, 2018
Hader was asked about those tweets during the postgame media session. Here's part of what he said:
Hader was at his locker in emptying NL locker room. He was asked to explain the offensive tweets revealed from his Twitter account:
— David Lennon (@DPLennon) July 18, 2018
‘You can’t. There’s no excuse for what was said. I’m deeply sorry for what I’ve said … it doesn’t reflect any of my beliefs going on now.”
Josh Hader: “As a child I was immature. I said some things that are inexcusable.” He said they do not reflect is current beliefs. “There’s no excuse.”
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) July 18, 2018
Josh Hader apologized and said his awful tweets do not reflect his current views. “When you’re a kid, you tweet what’s on your mind,” he said.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) July 18, 2018
Hader said he plans to address his teammates. Said he is “ready for any consequences.”
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 18, 2018
Meanwhile, here's what one of Hader's teammates, Lorenzo Cain, had to say after the game:
Lorenzo Cain, who said he spoke briefly to Josh Hader before talking with the media. pic.twitter.com/UJKi1QBII7
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) July 18, 2018
Lorenzo Cain: "The situation is what it is. I know Hader. He’s a great guy. I know he’s a great teammate. I’m fine. Everybody will be OK. We’ll move on from it."
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) July 18, 2018
It's unclear what punishment Hader will face from the Brewers or the league. Major League Baseball has attempted to foster a more inclusive environment in recent years, in part by suspending players for using homophobic slurs on the field, like Matt Joyce and Kevin Pillar. Perhaps the most well-known instance involved Yuli Gurriel last World Series, when he made racist gestures directed at Yu Darvish. Gurriel was suspended for five games, while Joyce and Pillar were each shelved for two games. Earlier this season, the Detroit Tigers fired pitching coach Chris Bosio due to 'insensitive comments' he made toward a team employee.
Things certainly aren't perfect and this will be a telling test. MLB hasn't yet had to address a situation like this, concerning a high-profile player's tweets.
