Toronto Blue Jays fans not happy with Kevin Pillar’s comment
Tensions rose in Atlanta Wednesday night, with Kevin Pillar‘s actions after yelling out an offensive phrase to Braves pitcher Jason Motte leaving a sour taste with many Toronto Blue Jays fans.
Wednesday night was not Kevin Pillar’s finest moment. Visiting the brand new SunTrust Park in Atlanta, the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder got a bit personal with the Braves in their third meeting of the season.
It all stemmed from Pillar not being happy with a quick pitch from Jason Motte that, unfortunately, led to a comment by him that won’t sit well with many fans. Pillar blurted out an offensive homophobic term that got the Blue Jays faithful to respond aggressively on social media.
Seeing too many people making excuses for Pillar. That's a problem. Whether you see it that way or not, it's a problem.
— Sam (@SLM9461) May 18, 2017
"It's part of the game". Those words doesn't have any place anywhere.
— Ben Snider (@bensnider_10) May 18, 2017
So disappointed in Pillar's actions and then half-assed apology. Ughhhhh pic.twitter.com/B8Dxxz4ymV
— steph malek (@stephanie_malek) May 18, 2017
Pillar spoke with the media after the game, to explain his choice of words towards the situation.
Here's part of what Pillar had to say about words being exchanged with Motte and how it started with the quick pitch. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/QN5ctGHWe8
— Gregor Chisholm (@GregorChisholm) May 18, 2017
Is it disappointing? Absolutely. If anything, it reminded fans on what happened a few years back with Yunel Escobar during his tenure with the Blue Jays, when his eye black during a mid-September game in 2012 had a homophobic phrase written on it.
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The result? A three-game suspension handed out by then Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous without pay, which was donated to “You Can Play and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation”.
According to MLB.com, Escobar also was a part of an initiative to educate people on sensitivity and tolerance towards people based on their sexual orientation. Jump to 2017 and what happens to Pillar today after the comment?
After shooting a poll on social media, the majority consensus among users that voted believed nothing will happen to Pillar, with a suspension or punishment (such as a fine) coming in second.
Got to ask the fans (updated option), what do you think happens to Pillar after tonight? #BlueJays
— Jose Taboada (@taboada93) May 18, 2017
For now, more apologies are set to be made by Pillar after his initial statement. According to Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae, Pillar will reach out to the Atlanta Braves organization.
However, fans are looking for a bigger apology for the LGBTQ community. At this point, it’s just a roller coaster Pillar definitely doesn’t want to be a part of.
Next: Blue Jays' Second Base Options
What do you think will happen to Pillar? How do you feel about his comments from Wednesday night’s game? Let us know in the comments below.