- Apr 27, 2012
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http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/m...toronto-blue-jays-yunel-escobar-gay-slur.htmlThe Toronto Blue Jays are investigating why shortstop Yunel Escobar played Saturday's game against Boston with a homophobic slur written in Spanish under his eyes.
Several pictures posted online show Escobar with the message written on his eye-black, a sticky tape worn under players' eyes to reduce glare from the sun and stadium lights.
The words under the 29-year-old Cuban's eyes were "TU ERE MARICON," which can be translated as "You are a fa--ot."
CBCSports.ca
Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has scheduled a media conference to address the issue Tuesday afternoon in New York, where the team opens a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Escobar, manager John Farrell and coach Luis Rivera are also expected to attend.
"The Toronto Blue Jays do not support discrimination of any kind nor condone the message displayed by Yunel Escobar during Saturdays game," the statement said. "The club takes this situation seriously and is investigating the matter."
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney also confirmed the commissioner's office is investigating the incident.
'This is a bad word'
It would seem the phrase on Escobar's eye-black went virtually unnoticed until season-ticket holder James Greenhalgh posted a photograph online.
Greenhalgh sits near the dugout and often takes photos of players that he uploads to Flickr.
Accompanying this particular closeup is a lengthy explanation of Greenhalgh's reservations about posting it in the first place, and his musings as to Escobar's motive.
"This is a bad word" Greenhalgh wrote of Flickr. "It's a homophobic slur.
"It may have made a closeted Blue Jay/Red Sox very upset inside. There are a million insults he could have used that would have been funny, this was not one of them."
Some Spanish-speaking people have said since the incident that the phrase is sometimes used, particularly by men, in a joking way not in a literal way intended to insult.
Greenhalgh later tweeted a link to the closeup photo of Escobar on his Twitter account @james_in_to.
He also tweeted a link to a previous photo of Escobar with the word "Chilling" on his eye-black, to suggest that the shortstop often writes "funny stuff."
"I like Yunel a lot," Greenhalgh wrote. "He's the one who pays me the most notice when I'm at the games.
"He points to his fans, tips his cap and recognizes the support he is given. This was a mistake I hope he learns and he will never make again."
The photos stirred up controversy on Twitter and several sports blogs Monday afternoon and Escobar was trending on Twitter by early evening.
The Blue Jays open a three-game series Tuesday against the Yankees in New York.
With files from The Canadian Press
A baseball player named Yunel Escobar had a "homophobic" slur under his eyes on the eye-black. The Toronto Blue Jays have scheduled a meeting to address this issue
People are accusing him of being anti-gay and say he should face more discipline.
This is freedom of speech and he has the right to do this, he shouldn't face discipline because he was just using freedom of speech and you dont have the right to not be offended.
People are also calling him to apologize to the gay community, I dont think he should have to do that, This is political correctness run amok
Do you agree that he had the right to do this and shouldn't face any discipline? Is freedom of speech under attack by political correctness?