Not only have Steve Clevenger’s thumbs cost him a lot of money. They also have risked his future as a Major League Baseball player.
The Seattle Mariners on Friday suspended Clevenger without pay for the remainder of the season in response to offensive messages he shared on Twitter about the ongoing protests in Charlotte, N.C. Clevenger, a backup catcher, is unlikely to appeal the Mariners’ decision, and the MLB Players Association is expected to follow suit, according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale.
Clevenger, 30, tweeted the comments before changing his account to private, but their contents already went public.
“Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black police officer,” one of the tweets said, according to KOMO Seattle’s Jon Humbert. “Haha s— cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the Anthem!”
Clevenger was supposed to earn $516,500 this season, but his suspension will cost him $33,868 in lost salary.
Nightengale reports that the Mariners are furious with Clevenger and will not re-sign him in the offseason. He adds the prospect of another team signing Clevenger to a big-league contract are remote, at best.
Only Clevenger can determine whether airing his views is worth such a price.
Photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
