Red Sox' Jarren Duran apologizes for aiming 'horrific' homophobic slur at fan [View all]

Outfielder responds to heckling fan after strikeouts. Boston suspends player for two games over incident

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/12/red-sox-jarren-duran-apologizes-for-aiming-horrific-homophobic-slur-at-fan

The Red Sox announced that Duran will be suspended without pay for two games, after consulting with Major League Baseball on Monday. Boston’s next three games, all against the Texas Rangers, take place at Fenway Park this week. The exchange was caught on a live mic during the broadcast of the game occurred when Duran – who was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts at that point in the game – was at the plate in the sixth inning.

A fan at Fenway Park can be heard shouting “Tennis racket! Tennis racket! You need a tennis racket!” Duran turned his head toward the fan and replied: “Shut up” before calling the fan “a faggot”. The at-bat ended with Duran being walked.

“During tonight’s game, I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan,” Duran said in a statement released by the team. “I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the entire LGBTQ community. “Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility,” added the 27-year-old. Duran finished by saying he would use the episode to educate himself and grow as a person.

“The Red Sox addressed this incident with Jarren immediately following today’s game. We echo Jarren’s apology to our fans, especially to the LGBTQ community,” a team statement said. “We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity.”

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Just once I'd like to hear an offending athlete tell the truth and say "I've been using that slur, like most of my friends, since I was a kid. I've never cared for gay people, so I guess I'm a bigot."