Some baseball players like to put short messages or initials on the eye black under their eyes. Yunel Escobar, a shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays, was suspended for three games for including a gay slur written in Spanish during Saturday’s game against Boston on his eye black.
Escobar’s salary for the games will be donated to GLAAD and the You Can Play foundation.
He met with reporters before Tuesday’s game at Yankee Stadium and said through coach Luis Rivera that the slur on his face was “just a joke.”
“I agree with the suspension. I don’t have any problem with that. I’m embarrassed,” Escobar said. “I’m sorry for my actions. I don’t have anything against homosexuals. I have friends who are gay.”
The players association was consulted on the matter and will not appeal the suspension, sending a clear message the homophobic messaging will not be tolerated by the league.
What Escobar had written under his eyes translates to, “You are a [gay slur].”
Many on Twitter expressed outrage with the message Escobar displayed on the field.
Maybe instead of a suspension, Escobar should have to write “I have poor judgement” on his face for three games.
— Scaachi Koul (@Scaachi) September 18, 2012
Hey Yunel Escobar and @bluejays! We’ve got more than a few books you should be reading.. twitter.com/GDBooks/status…
— Glad Day Bookshop (@GDBooks) September 18, 2012
