ESPN News Services
May 30, 2023, 04: 01 PM ET
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass issued a public apology one day after sharing a video on social media that endorses anti-LGBTQIA+ boycotts.
Bass shared a video on his Instagram stories Monday that called for viewers to boycott Target and Bud Light because of those companies’ recent promotion of LGBTQIA+ Pride campaigns.
Bass, who has since removed the video from his social media accounts, made a brief statement Tuesday but did not take questions from reporters.
“I recognize 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. “I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized 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.”
Manager John Schneider said Bass apologized to him and general manager Ross Atkins when he arrived at the ballpark Tuesday. Schneider suggested Bass speak to the team.
Schneider said Bass’ post “doesn’t represent our overall feelings as an organization,” while the Blue Jays said in a statement to the Toronto Star that “individual player sentiments are not representative of the club’s beliefs.”
“The message to the fan base is that we have and will continue to be a huge part of the Pride community,” Schneider said.
Schneider said the Blue Jays did not discuss disciplining Bass.
June is Pride Month in Toronto, with an accompanying festival that is one of the largest of any kind in Ontario. More than 200,000 marchers and more than two million spectators are expected at Toronto’s annual Pride parade on June 25.
The Blue Jays are celebrating Pride Weekend on June 9 and 10, with plans to give out 15,000 rainbow flag jerseys on June 9.
Some athletes have objected to Pride Nights in recent years. On Monday, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw told The Los Angeles Times that he disagreed with his team’s recent decision to welcome an LGBTQIA+ group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the team’s annual Pride Night. Last season, several players with the Tampa Bay Rays cited their Christian faith in refusing to wear Pride jerseys.
Earlier this year, Bass sparked criticism when he posted a tweet complaining that a flight attendant had asked his pregnant wife to clean up popcorn their toddler spilled on the floor during a flight.
Bass, 35, has a 4.50 ERA in 20 relief appearances this season with the Blue Jays. The right-hander has played parts of 12 seasons in the majors with seven teams.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.