02 June 2023 , 16:33
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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass was booed at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night after the player shared an anti-LGBTQ+ post ahead of Pride Month.
Bass shared a video to his Instagram story on Monday which called for people to boycott both Target and Bud Light due to their recent backing of LGBTQ+ Pride campaigns. Bass later apologised for his comments after the Blue Jays came out and stressed that the organisation don't share the same feelings as their pitcher.
Unsurprisingly, lots of backlash followed as Bass was targeted by supporters for his strong views. And the Blue Jays fans made sure Bass knew they weren't on his side after he made an appearance during the 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bass later removed his story after heavy criticism from Instagram followers, but the damage had already been done. Blue Jays wrote in a statement to the Toronto Star that "individual player sentiments are not representative of the club's beliefs", and manager John Schneider added: "The message to the fan base is that we have and will continue to be a huge part of the Pride community."
Schneider confirmed that the Blue Jays have not considered disciplining the pitcher, after Bass came out publicly to apologise. "I recognise yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine. I am truly sorry for that," Bass said.
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"I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologised with them, and as of right now I am using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward.
"The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark. We want to welcome everybody. That's all I have to say."
But the Blue Jays fans haven't forgiven the 35-year-old, as he was heavily booed by the home crowd after his Instagram story went viral. Multiple sports teams around the globe are supporting Pride this month, and the Blue Jays are celebrating on the weekend of June 9.
The team has plans to give out 15,000 rainbow flag jerseys on June 9 against the Houston Astros, and is supporting the marches in Toronto this month. The Blue Jays are fourth in the AL East with a 30-27 record, a division that the Tampa Bay Rays are currently dominating.
The Rays are by far the best team in Major League Baseball so far this season, with a record of 40-18. They've won five more games than the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles, who share the second-best record.