Another major league pitcher had to publicly explain a social media post that was unflattering to the LGBTQ2S+ community.
After the Toronto Blue Jays replaced Anthony Bass in late May, Boston Red Sox starter Matt Dermody spoke to reporters about the touchy subject. Wearing the colors of the Saitama Lions in the Japanese baseball league in June 2021, he tweeted that homosexuality was a sin, invoking his Christian faith and including an excerpt from the Bible. Though the Gunner later deleted his post, the story didn’t go unheard in the offices of the Boston Red Sox, who signed him in January.
Ahead of his first start of the season Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians, Dermody spoke to Sox President Chaim Bloom, whose organization was unaware of the case prior to signing the contract.
“I regret this tweet that hurt a lot of people. The last thing I want to do is harm others. A lot of people think I’m against a certain group of people, but I want everyone to go to heaven,” the man, who gave up three runs in four innings in a 10-3 lead, told the Boston Globe after the game Loss. .
“Like all of our supporting players, Matt completed a mandatory Harassment and Discrimination Prevention program in March. We cannot impose any religious beliefs or political views on our athletes or employees. However, we want them to treat everyone on our team and in the stadium with respect and professionalism,” the Sox said in a statement to MassLive.
An angry president
The same source collected Bloom’s comments on the matter. The latter believes that the pitcher has learned and the club is looking ahead. “He understood that this does not constitute appropriate use of the web platform. The president said he knew he made a mistake. Of course, that doesn’t mean we support everything he said and believed. On the other hand, even if we want to create an inclusive environment, we have no right to play police and decide what people should believe.
In Toronto, Bass came under the spotlight for releasing a video calling for a boycott of companies that demonstrated diversity. As part of the Jays’ annual Pride weekend, the apology was originally scheduled to be ceremoniously thrown by prominent LGBTQ2S+ activist Zlie Lee Kam before Friday night’s game at Rogers Center. In the afternoon, however, the Jays called him to action.