Television analyst Bob Brenly has apologized for a comment he made about Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman‘s head covering during Tuesday night’s game.
Stroman had tweeted that the comment had “racist undertones.”
Brenly, the former World Series-winning manager who now calls Diamondbacks games for Bally Sports Arizona, made a crack about Stroman’s attire during the fourth inning Tuesday.
“Pretty sure that’s the same durag that Tom Seaver used to wear when he pitched for the Mets,” Brenly said during the telecast.
After the game, Stroman tweeted, “Onward and upward…through all adversity and racist undertones. The climb continues through all!”
Onward and upward…through all adversity and racist undertones. The climb continues through all! 🗣
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) June 2, 2021
Stroman, who is Black and has been outspoken on issues concerning race and social justice, also retweeted several tweets from Twitter users who called out Brenly for “racism.” Stroman replied to one tweet, saying the “media will turn this against me somehow” if he publicly criticizes Brenly, who is white.
Brenly issued a statement on social media before Wednesday’s Mets-Diamondbacks day game.
“During last night’s game, I made a poor attempt at humor that was insensitive and wrong,” the statement said. “I apologize to Marcus Stroman and have reached out directly to share those thoughts. I have had several conversations with the D-backs and we agree that seeking sensitivity training is an important step so I can continue to learn from my mistakes in order to be better in the future.”
Also Wednesday, Mets manager Luis Rojas called Brenly’s comment “very inappropriate.”
“I was very disappointed when I heard it,” he said. “If it was like a joke or something, I didn’t get it. That was my initial reaction to it. I think it’s completely inappropriate.”
Stroman started in the Mets’ 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Diamondbacks. He allowed seven hits and three runs in six innings, striking out six.
Stroman also was involved in a verbal spat on the field with Josh Rojas, which led to the benches emptying but no punches thrown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.