White Sox’s Kopech apologizes for racist, homophobic tweets
CHICAGO » Chicago White Sox rookie pitcher Michael Kopech has apologized for racist and homophobic tweets he posted as 17-year-old and has since deleted.
The tweets from 2013 surfaced Tuesday as Kopech made his major league debut.
“I had to delete some stuff,” Kopech told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. “Things I said that were immature and inappropriate. I used some poor language in there. Obviously, I’m trying to be looked at as a role model and the last thing I want to do is have some kid look at what I’m saying and take it the wrong way.
“It’s unfortunate that I was ever at that point mentally, but it’s not who I am now. Yeah, I cleaned some tweets up and tried to get rid of them. But, obviously, people saw them. It’s not who I am now and it’s not who I want to be. It was something I did in high school, and with everything I’ve gone through in pro ball the last five seasons I feel like a big part of my career was maturing. Hate to see it, but it’s not who I am anymore.”
Kopech grew up in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and attended Mount Pleasant High School.
Also recently, years-old racist, misogynistic and homophobic tweets from Milwaukee reliever Josh Hader were found during the All-Star Game. Then, Atlanta pitcher Sean Newcomb and Washington shortstop Trea Turner had their own offensive tweets unearthed.
Darvish relieved cause of his pain finally discovered
CHICAGO » Even though it meant a premature end to his first season in Chicago, Yu Darvish said Thursday that he was relieved when an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his right elbow.
“At first, I was told it was a simple tightness, but I always knew there was something else other than the tightness,” Darvish said through a translator.
“With the diagnosis, I’m relieved to know what that something is.”
Darvish has been sidelined since late May with what was at first diagnosed as triceps and elbow injuries. Darvish left a rehab start Sunday with Single-A South Bend after one inning and 18 pitches.