MLB Player Anthony Bass Shares Anti-LGBTQ+ Post, Apologizes

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass shared an anti-LGBTQ+ reel on Instagram promoting the boycott of supportive companies and faced a backlash, Yahoo! Sports reported.

"The 35-year-old reliever shared a 'reel' from another account that explained the 'biblical reason' those of Christian faith should boycott companies such as Target and Bud Light, which have been publicly supporting LGBTQ rights and Pride," the news account detailed.

"Here's the reason biblically why I believe Christians have gotta be boycotting Target, Bud Light, and any other corporation that's pushing the things they're pushing," the video – which has since been deleted from Bass' Instagram – said.

The video continued, "I think a lot of people make this into a political issue, or they say 'oh what's the big deal?'"

Social media users were quick to respond.

Some referenced an incident from last month in which Bass excoriated a flight attendant, complaining that after his daughter spilled popcorn on a United Airlines flight his wife got "attitude" from the attendant and had to clean up the mess.

"The flight attendant @united just made my 22 week pregnant wife traveling with a 5 year old and 2 year old get on her hands and knees to pick up the popcorn mess by my youngest daughter. Are you kidding me?!?!" Bass posted on April 16.

After deleting the anti-LGBTQ+ post, Bass offered an apology that some deemed half-hearted.

"After being inundated with media requests on Tuesday, the Jays made the veteran reliever available to reporters – sort of," Gregor Chisholm, the baseball columnist for Canadian newspaper the Toronto Star recounted.

"Bass spoke for about 30 seconds and did not take any questions. No explanation was provided, which gave the impression that Bass was ducking a controversy he started."

ESPN reported that Bass said, "I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine. I am truly sorry for that."

The pitcher continued: "I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized with them, and as of right now I am using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward."

The team, meanwhile, hastened to distance itself from Bass and his social media, Yahoo! Sports noted.

"Individual player sentiments are not representative of the club's beliefs," the team said in a statement.

"They also reaffirmed their commitment to 'providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all,'" Yahoo! Sports added.

"The Blue Jays are celebrating Pride Weekend on June 9 and 10, with plans to give out 15,000 rainbow flag jerseys on June 9," ESPN noted.

Chisholm expressed skepticism as to the sincerity of the apology, writing that after he delivered is comments, Bass "walked away and let manager John Schneider do the talking."

Added Chisholm: "Schneider said Bass showed a lot of 'accountability' with teammates. We'll have to take his word because Bass didn't display much in front of the cameras. The pitcher's statement was over almost as soon as it began, and beyond the vague reference to using the Jays' 'resources' to educate himself there was no mention of how he intended to make amends."

Bass' apology displeased social media users of all stripes, with those supportive of punitive measures against LGBTQ+-friendly companies accusing him of "caving" to a "woke mob" while equality advocates dismissed the pitcher's apology.