Report: George Springer received unspecified punishment for use of homophobic slur - MLB

During a seven-game homestand that included a three-game set versus the Twins, Astros outfielder George Springer was seen shouting a homophobic slur at umpire Ángel Hernández. Dawn Ennis of Outsports reports that Major League Baseball punished Springer in an as yet unknown way for his outburst.

On April 23, in the bottom of the eighth inning facing Tyler Duffey, Springer took a called strike three that he thought was ball four. Unhappy with Hernández’s call, Springer tossed his bat and argued with the umpire, appearing to say, “Ángel! That’s the same pitch you just called a ball.” Once he returned to the dugout, TV cameras happened to be on Springer when he clearly yelled, “F–king c–ksucker!” at Hernández.

MLB’s history of punishing players for the use of slurs is a bit spotty. The most apropos comparison would be when the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel was suspended for the first five games of the 2018 regular season after making a racist comment and gesture towards Yu Darvish, then with the Dodgers, after homering in Game 3 of the 2017 World Series.

Matt Joyce, then with the Athletics, was suspended two games by MLB for using a homophobic slur responding to a heckler in August 2017. The Blue Jays suspended outfielder Kevin Pillar for shouting a homophobic slur at Braves reliever Jason Motte in May 2017.

What is clear is that Springer wasn’t suspended. He started each of the next five games following the incident, then pinch-hit and finished out the game on April 29, and started again on the 30th, leading us to today. Springer’s punishment must have been a fine and/or a commitment to attend sensitivity training. He should have been suspended, though, especially given recent precedent and MLB’s increasing commitment to diversity.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.