The Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar has apologized after directing a homophobic slur at the Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte.
Pillar was incensed after Motte struck him out with a quick pitch. The two confronted each other and Pillar appeared to call his opponent a “faggot”, and players from both teams left the benches as tempers flared. The benches cleared again in the eighth inning after Toronto’s Jose Bautista hit a home run off Eric O’Flaherty and then stared him down.
The benches clear in Atlanta after Kevin Pillar takes exception to Jason Motte's quick pitch in the top of the 7th inning!!! pic.twitter.com/fcwxtUWuYL
— TheRenderMLB (@TheRenderMLB) May 18, 2017
On Thursday, Pillar issued an apology on his Twitter account. “Last night, following my at-bat in the 7th inning, I used inappropriate language towards Braves pitcher Jason Motte,” he wrote. “By doing so I had just helped extend the use of a word that has no place in baseball, in sports or anywhere in society today. I’m completely and utterly embarrassed and feel horrible to have put the fans, my teammates and the Blue Jays organization in this position. I have apologized personally to Jason Motte, but also need to apologize to the Braves organization and their fans, and most importantly, to the LGBTQ community for the lack of respect I displayed last night.
This is not who I am and will use this as an opportunity to better myself.”
The MLB launched an anti-homophobia campaign in 2014, led by former player Billy Bean, who came out after his retirement. Bean regularly talks to MLB teams about LGBT issues. Should Pillar face punishment over the incident, he will not be the first Toronto player to be disciplined for homophobic slurs. In 2012, the team suspended short stop Yunel Escobar for three games without pay after he wore eye black with the slogan “you are a faggot” written in Spanish.
The Braves and Blue Jays play again on Thursday night.
