Many St. Louis Cardinals fans aren’t happy about right fielder Jason Heyward signing with division rival Chicago Cubs, calling him a ‘trader’ via Twitter.
St. Louis Cardinals fans are not pleased that right fielder Jason Heyward signed a massive eight-year deal worth $184 million to play for the division rival Chicago Cubs of the NL Central. Now after the signing, Cardinals fans on Twitter kept referring to him as a “trader” instead of a “traitor.”
As you’d imagine, hilarity ensued.
@sportsandra @JasonHeyward uhh screw that trader sellout, he all ab the money has no faith, or hope or would have stayed a Brave !
— TBird (@ThomasBird818) November 24, 2013
Apparently a big faction of the Twittersphere was not aware that trader and traitor were two completely different words with two different meanings. Then a heavy amount of “trader” trolling took over Twitter.
Thanks to everyone RTing #STLCards fans calling Jason Heyward a "trader." Never gets old.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 11, 2015
Jason Heyward's not a "trader" folks. He was a free agent. :) #Cards
— Randy Gyorko (@GooseGyorko) December 11, 2015
Cardinals fans, and even some Braves fans, seem to not grasp the concept of two different words. While this seems like harmless fun at first glance, some fans did take it way to far, tweeting expletives and racist comments at Heyward.
Like saying any of that was going to make him come back to the Cardinals out of a one-year loyalty to the franchise. These type of Twitter reactions can be hysterical at times, but the caustic nature of some of these tweets aimed at Heyward were simply uncalled for. Today was another reaffirmation of some of the people that use Twitter to abruptly communicate. Use a dictionary, it’ll help your tweets.
EXAMPLE: “Jason, I’m really angry that you went to the rival Cubs, but understand that it’s a business. Go Cardinals!” That, apparently, was too much to ask from some of the more hostile people on Twitter.