A Toronto Blue Jays pitcher was greeted by boos by a hometown crowd this week following the controversy surrounding the Bud Light and Target boycotts. Anthony Bass shared an Instagram post that supported the boycotts against the two brands, then made a video apology shared by the team.
The pitcher made his first appearance for the Blue Jays Wednesday since his social media post and was met by boos from the home crowd.
Anthony Bass comes into the game, greeted by a couple of separate choruses of boos. #Bluejays pic.twitter.com/NM3IpEA91i
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) June 1, 2023
The original controversy surrounding Bass’ apparent endorsement of the boycotts was followed by a second after an on-field apology posted on the Blue Jays’ Twitter account.
In the video, Bass said that he “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,” he said. “As of right now, I am using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward.”
The controversy began last week when Bass shared a video on Instagram in which a speaker endorsed the boycotts against Target and Bud Light. Both companies began high-profile LGBT-themed marketing strategies, which led to consumer backlash.
Despite the apology, Bass appears to remain in the public spotlight. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that the apology was only a “start.”
He said that the team would not “pretend like this never happened.”
Schneider said that the team will not “pretend like it’s the end and move on.” “There are definitely more steps that are going to follow,” he said.
The team is preparing Pride Weekend events next week, including distributing rainbow flag jerseys. The manager said that Bass and the entire team are expected to participate.
Bass is not the only MLB player to disagree with recent LGBT marketing. Los Angeles Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw publicly disagreed with his franchise’s decision to host a drag group, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and present them with an award.
Kershaw rejected the group’s message that mocks Christianity and convinced the organization to restart its Christian Faith and Family Day.
