Colin Cowherd’s offensive remarks about players from the Dominican Republic have sparked outrage throughout baseball.
On Friday, Major League Baseball weighed in with this:
MLB issued the following statement this afternoon regarding yesterday’s comments made by Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio. pic.twitter.com/4UoUHDRnig
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) July 24, 2015MORE: How ESPN personalities fared after they left | Cowherd remarks remind us harmful Dominican stereotypes still pervasive
During a commentary Thursday that started as a discussion about Marlins manager Dan Jennings, Cowherd began to ramble on about the “complexity of the game" and said, in part, “… The Dominican Republic has not been known in my lifetime as having world class academic abilities.”
Dear Mr. @ESPN_Colin before i rip you a new one i would like for you to explain what u meant to say about baseball and dominicans, please
— Jose Bautista (@JoeyBats19) July 23, 2015Cowherd, who’s leaving ESPN to join Fox Sports, later tried to backtrack on his comments by citing the number of MLB players with college degrees and language barriers in a game with a large Latino presence.
ESPN addressed the issue by saying “some of Colin’s comments yesterday referencing the Dominican Republic were inappropriate and do not reflect ESPN’s values of respect for all communities.
"Colin’s on-air response today addressed the importance of making sure his opinions are fact-based and responsible for all people."
UPDATE: MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark weighed in on the situation with a statement.
"As a veteran of fifteen MLB seasons, I can assure you that our sport is infinitely more complex than some in the media would have you believe. To suggest otherwise is ignorant, and to make an ignorant point by denigrating the intelligence of our Dominican members was not 'clunky' — it was offensive. These recent comments are particularly disappointing when viewed against the backdrop of the important work being done to celebrate and improve the cultural diversity of our game. Baseball's partners and stakeholders should help such efforts, not undermine them."
UPDATE 2: Cowherd tweeted an apology shortly after ESPN announced Friday afternoon that he would no longer appear on the network.
I did not intend to offend anyone w my comments. I realize my choice of words was poor and not reflective of who I am. I am sorry.
— Colin Cowherd (@ESPN_Colin) July 24, 2015