MLBPA demands apology from ESPN host Colin Cowherd

ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd made a racially insensitive comment about Dominican baseball players and that has riled the feathers of the MLB Players Association.

ESPN may be counting its lucky stars that they’ve already made the choice to part ways with controversial radio host Colin Cowherd. It will save them at least some of the need for damage control after Thursday’s debacle.

Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

Talking on his syndicated radio show, Cowherd addressed a question about whether or not it was difficult to step out of the front office and manage a Major League Baseball team on the field. However, his answer was likely not thought out that well.

"“It’s baseball,’’ Cowherd said. “You don’t think a general manager can manage? Like it’s impossible? The game is too complex? I’ve never bought into that, ‘Baseball’s just too complex.’ Really? A third of the sport is from the Dominican Republic.’’ (h/t USA Today)"

Cowherd has a history of making comments that don’t sit well with others and this one certainly got under the skin of the players and the MLB Players Association. With as much as 10% of the players on Opening Day rosters of Dominican descent, including Jose Bautista, David Ortiz, Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, and more. Bautista was one of those players who weren’t overly enthused by the comment and used his well-followed Twitter account to voice his own concern.

The ire didn’t stop with Bautista either, as the MLB Players Association also released their own statement on the matter.

"“Major League Baseball condemns the remarks made by Colin Cowherd, which were inappropriate, offensive and completely inconsistent with the values of our game. Mr. Cowherd owes our players of Dominican origin, and Dominican people generally, an apology.”"

To this point, Cowherd has released a small statement apologizing for his ill choice of words, but given the timing of MLBPA statement, they weren’t altogether satisfied with the statement released by Cowherd.

"“I could’ve made the point without using one country, and there’s all sorts of smart people from the Dominican Republic. I could’ve said a third of baseball’s talent is being furnished from countries with economic hardships, therefore educational hurdles. For the record, I used the Dominican Republic because they’ve furnished baseball with so many great players . . . It wasn’t a shot at them. It was data. Five, seven years ago I talked about the same subject. Was I clunky? Perhaps. Did people not like my tone? I get it. Sometimes my tone stinks.”“I get it. I do. And for that, I feel bad. I do. But I have four reports in front of me … where there are discussions of major deficiencies in the education sector at all levels . . . I’m not saying there’s not intelligent, educated people from the Dominican Republic. I cringe at the data too.” (h/t Hardball Talk)"

You’d like to chalk these comments up to bad decisions made live on the air, but Cowherd’s history of such comments and for putting his foot in his mouth only make this out to be another empty apology. The ESPN statement on the matter also didn’t go far enough, with a suspension having been a more appropriate course of action.

But then again, with Cowherd nearing the end of his time with the network anyway, ESPN doesn’t have any teeth to bare here.

Next: Top 30 outfielders in MLB history

More from MLB

Home/MLB