Seattle Mariners catcher Steve Clevenger has apologized for tweets that labeled the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and President Barack Obama “pathetic.”
In a series of posts Thursday, Clevenger also mocked the protests of sports stars kneeling during the US anthem and seemed to suggest all involved in protesting the death of Keith Lamont Scott at the hands of police in Charlotte, North Carolina, should be locked up like “animals.”
“Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black officer haha s**t cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the anthem!” Clevenger tweeted Thursday.
Another tweet by the Major League Baseball star read: “BLM is pathetic once again! Obama is pathetic once again! Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals.”
Clevenger’s Twitter account is now protected but some users were quick to capture screen grabs of the messages.
Mariners general manager, Jerry Dipoto, issued a statement later Thursday making clear the organization was disappointed with Clevenger’s words and that it was “examining all internal options that are available to us as we determine appropriate next steps.”
“While he (Clevenger) is certainly free to express himself, his tweets do not in any way represent the opinions of the Seattle Mariners. We strongly disagree with the language and tone of his comments,” Dipoto’s statement read.
That missive was soon followed by a statement from Clevenger to reporters, and reproduced on Facebook by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, insisting there was no racial undertone to his tweets and apologizing for his choice of words.
‘Better world for everyone’
“I am sickened by the idea that anyone would think of me in racist terms. My tweets were reactionary to the events I saw on the news and were worded beyond poorly at best,” Clevenger’s statement read.
“I grew up in (Baltimore) a very culturally diverse area of America and I am very proud to come from there. I am also proud that my inner circle of friends has never been defined by race but by the content of their character.
“I do believe that supporting our First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive. With everything going on in the world I really just want what is best for everyone regardless of who they are.
“I would like to be a part of the dialogue moving forward to make this a better world for everyone.”
Activists took to the streets for a third night in Charlotte Thursday to protest the fatal shooting of Scott. Charlotte police chief, Kerr Putney told reporters Wednesday that Scott had been shot by by a black police officer named Brentley Vinson.
Police claim Scott exited his vehicle with a gun when approached by police. Scott’s family deny this, saying he didn’t own a gun. They instead say he was reading a book when officers approached.
Large gatherings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Charlotte had turned violent, with teargas fired by police to quell protestors, but remained peaceful Thursday.
Earlier this week, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, told reporters that he had received death threats for kneeling during the national anthem to highlight what he has described as racist police practice and the continued oppression of black people in America.
Numerous US sports stars have joined Kaepernick in his protest in recent weeks. However, others view these actions as disrespectful.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, called for Kaepernick to leave the country while former presidential candidate and Republican senator, Ted Cruz, condemned protesting athletes for insulting the American flag.