Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell was suspended today for two weeks without pay and fined an undisclosed amount and...
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is asking Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves to send a message "that anti-gay slurs have no place in sports" after an Atlanta Braves coach allegedly hurled epithets at San Francisco Giants fans.
Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell is accused of making anti-gay slurs at the San Francisco AT&T Park during a game on Saturday. Justin Quinn, who was at the game with his wife and 9-year-old twin daughters, made the allegation and also accused McDowell of threatening him after he asked the coach to watch his language because children were present.
McDowell issued an apology on Wednesday, saying he was "deeply sorry."
“McDowell’s apology is a start, but the Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball must take real disciplinary action and send the message that anti-gay slurs have no place in sports,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios in a statement. “Professional sporting events should be an environment that all fans and families can enjoy, not a place where children are exposed to violent threats and discriminatory language.”
The Atlanta Braves pitching coach accused of shouting anti-gay slurs at fans at the San Francisco's AT&T Park on Saturday issued a written apology Wednesday while MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said the allegations are "troubling" and an investigation is under way.
Roger McDowell was accused of making the anti-gay remarks by Justin Quinn, a father of twin daughters, during a press conference today with high profile attorney Gloria Allred.
Quinn said he saw McDowell shout, "Are you a homo couple or a threesome?" and also saw him use a baseball bat to simulate a sex act.
"I am deeply sorry that I responded to the heckling fans in San Francisco on Saturday. I apologize to everyone for my actions," McDowell said in the statement.