Tampa Bay Rays player called a ‘pansy’ for wearing a mask

Tampa Bay Rays player called a ‘pansy’ for wearing a mask.

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Kevan Smith, like most MLB players with a functioning brain who want to reduce the chance that they succumb to a coronavirus infection, realized that wearing a mask will help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Doing this en masse would make MLB games a safe place for players and fans alike. Unfortunately, it seems like some of Smith’s neighbors in the Sunshine State haven’t gotten that memo just yet, as a teammate of his was attacked verbally in a store for exercising caution and wearing a mask.

Smith claims that the lack of uniformity in regards to mask-wearing in the state of Florida is a major problem, as a teammate of his was called a “pansy” by Floridians who couldn’t believe that the player in question had the temerity to wear a mask during a pandemic.

Kevan Smith and this anonymous player are not pansies for being safe.

Smith, a Pittsburgh native who attended Pitt, spent three seasons with the Chicago White Sox before moving to the Los Angeles Angels in 2020. He hit .251 with five home runs last year, and he figures to be one of the better backup catchers in the league.

Smith and the nameless player on the wrong end of this verbal lashing are taking the only right approach to the pandemic, as being abundantly cautious is always better than going about your day with reckless abandon and leaving your health up to a few rolls of the dice. The fact that this player’s manhood was challenged because he didn’t want to get sick shows how unnecessarily divided this country is on what should be a fairly straightforward issue.

While cases in Pennsylvania are starting to decrease ever so gradually, Florida’s coronavirus cases are shooting up with each passing day. The reason for that has been illustrated perfectly by Smith’s story. While Pennsylvania’s are committed to wearing a mask and preventing the spread of the virus, Floridians don’t seem to think it’s a big deal. Hopefully, things change sooner rather than later down in that state.