Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader had a particularly bad All-Star Game on Tuesday night. In the game itself, he was rocked for four hits, including a three-run homer by the Seattle Mariners’ Jean Segura in 1/3 of an inning. After the game, however, is when things went from bad to worse.
A collection of racist and homophobic tweets that Hader made in 2012 when he was 17 years old resurfaced during the game and things went downhill quickly.
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Before the game was even over, Hader’s account went private. Also, family members in attendance at the game were forced to remove jersey’s with his name on the back and replace them with generic versions.
After the game, Hader was contrite and remorseful, claiming that the things he said when he was 17 are indicative of who he is now.
Of course, plenty of 17-year-olds never said these kinds of things, so not everyone bought the age excuse. Still, at least one teammate of his had spoken with Hader and was ready to move forward.
Major League Baseball and the Brewers also seem to want to move forward. Wednesday, MLB announced that Hader will not be suspended but he will be enrolled in diversity and inclusivity initiatives as well as sensitivity training.
The Brewers also released a statement, noting how Haders’ comments were hurtful and inexcusable but also that they were in close contact with him to learn from it. While not explicit, it’s implied the team will not suspend him from any games.
It remains to be seen what kind of reaction Hader gets the next time he takes the mound and what he might say or do to prove he’s learned from his “youthful transgressions.”H