An unidentified fan was loudly yelling what sounded like racial slurs at the Miami Marlins’ Lewis Brinson Sunday.
The slurs came while Brinson was batting during the ninth inning of Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. The Bally Sports Florida microphones picked up someone in the crowd yelling the N-word multiple times during Brinson’s at-bat.
Marlins play-by-play announcer Paul Severino tweeted “I’m absolutely disgusted at the language that was picked up by the mics late in the game today. The level of hate that was displayed has no place in this world. Unfortunately it’s still far too prevalent. We need to be better. And soon. Awful.”
The Rockies tweeted out a statement saying that any fan who engages in any form of racism or discrimination will be banned from Coors Field.
“The Colorado Rockies are disgusted at the racial slur by a fan directed at the Marlins’ Lewison Brinson during the ninth inning of today’s game,” the full statement reads. “Although the subject was not identified prior to the end of the game, the Rockies are still investigating this incident. The Rockies have zero tolerance for any form of racism or discrimination, and any fan using derogatory language of any kind will be ejected and banned from Coors Field.”
Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark also issued a statement, saying “It is a painful reality that progress continues to be elusive in a world where ignorance and bigotry remain all too commonplace. While many are truly committed to respect and equality for all, the abhorrent racial animus displayed today highlights that there is still much work to be done. We have to continue to work together to ensure that racism is never tolerated on or off the field.”
According to Yahoo Sports, an alternate theory that has emerged on social media is that the fan was yelling “Dinger,” which is the name of the Rockies’ mascot.
