Politics

Mariners suspend catcher Steve Clevenger for tweets critical of Black Lives Matter, Charlotte rioters

Steve Clevenger suspended
Steve Clevenger — Wikimedia Commons

On Friday, MSN Sports reported that the Seattle Mariners suspended backup catcher Steve Clevenger for two tweets critical of the Black Lives Matter movement and the rioters looting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black officer haha (expletive) cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the anthem!” one tweet read.

“BLM (Black Lives Matter) is pathetic again! Obama you are pathetic once again! Everyone should be locked behind bars like animals!” he said in another tweet.

According to MSN Sports, he was suspended for the rest of the season without pay.

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MSN Sports added:

The Mariners issued a statement Thursday condemning the tweets, with general manager Jerry Dipoto noting the club is “examining all internal options available to us.”

Clevenger was making a non-guaranteed $517,000 this season; he would be eligible for salary arbitration in 2017. His suspension could be appealed by the Major League Baseball Players’ Association. For now, the suspension will cost him around $32,000. A lifetime .227 hitter in 170 games over six seasons, Clevenger batted .221 with one home run this season. He’s best known for being included in trades that sent eventual ace Jake Arrieta from the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago Cubs, and slugger Mark Trumbo from the Mariners the Orioles this past off-season.

Reaction on Twitter was mixed, with some calling Clevenger a racist who deserved to be suspended:

https://twitter.com/MichaelT162/status/779165377687199748

Others, however, supported his right to free speech and compared the reaction to other athletes who routinely disrespect the flag and the national anthem:

https://twitter.com/MaxBMisch/status/779725944302993408

https://twitter.com/millennialviews/status/779711944018321408

https://twitter.com/100PercFEDUP/status/779493758945652736

Good question.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for a good answer.

Apparently, it’s now considered racist to criticize thugs who loot and burn.

Welcome to Obama’s America.

What do you think? Was this the right move or is it another example of a rampant double-standard?  Let us know in the comments below.

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Banned: How Facebook enables militant Islamic jihad – Source: Author (used with permission)

Joe Newby

A 10-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Joe ran for a city council position in Riverside, Calif., in 1991 and managed successful campaigns for the Idaho state legislature. Co-author of "Banned: How Facebook enables militant Islamic jihad," Joe wrote for Examiner.com from 2010 until it closed in 2016 and his work has been published at Newsbusters, Spokane Faith and Values and other sites. He now runs the Conservative Firing Line.

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