White Sox rookie Michael Kopech becomes latest player to apologize for old tweets
Kopech, 22, has apologized for racist, homophobic tweets that were sent in 2013
In the same week that
Michael Kopech made his
MLB debut, the
Chicago White Soxrookie pitcher has found himself in some hot water.
Kopech, 22, has become the latest baseball player to be embroiled in a controversy surrounding some of his old tweets. In the aftermath of his first big league appearance, Kopech has acknowledged (and deleted) a number of inappropriate tweets that contain racist and homophobic language. Those tweets -- some of which can be found
here (warning: NSFW language) -- were sent in 2013, when he was 17 years old.
Kopech addressed the tweets and apologized on Thursday afternoon.
"Yeah, I had to delete some stuff," Kopech told
the Chicago Sun-Times. "Things I said that were immature and inappropriate. I used some poor language in there. Obviously, I'm trying to be looked at as a role model and the last thing I want to do is have some kid look at what I'm saying and take it the wrong way.
PAID CONTENT BY WOLVERINE
The Latest in Hiking Gear is Here!
From fast and light to heavy packing, check out our best selling boots and shoes for the trail.
"It's unfortunate that I was ever at that point mentally but it's not who I am now. Yeah, I cleaned some tweets up and tried to get rid of them. But, obviously, people saw them. It's not who I am now and it's not who I want to be. It was something I did in high school, and with everything I've gone through in pro ball the last five seasons I feel like a big part of my career was maturing. Hate to see it but it's not who I am anymore."
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn also addressed the "offensive and inappropriate" tweets, releasing a statement following his apology on Thursday.
Controversial receipts are becoming something of a trend in baseball this season. Kopech joins
Trea Turner,
Sean Newcomb and
Josh Hader in the club of players who have had to answer for their inappropriate history on social media.
Kopech was selected by the
Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft before becoming part of the 2016 trade that sent
Chris Sale to Boston.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/white-sox-michael-kopech-racist-tweets-2013-response/
https://www.bgol.us/forum/threads/w...-for-old-racist-tweets.1015131/#post-19254901
