Derek Holland appears to be the latest athlete victimized by a Twitter hacker.
Holland's Twitter account is being investigated by Major League Baseball after a homophobic slur was directed at a heckler on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
Holland, who pitched Sunday against the Angels, claims the offensive tweet was the work of a hacker, which once again highlights the dangers of athletes on Twitter.
"It's obvious it was not me," Holland said, according to FOXSportsSouthwest.com. "It was during the game, for one. And for two, I'm in the dugout cheering my teammates on. Why would I say that anyway to begin with?"
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels reportedly called the issue "serious," emphasizing that the slur is "an unacceptable term to use."
The offensive message, which was an apparent response to a fan's heckling, has since been deleted, but the damage has already been done, although Holland maintains neither he nor his family had any involvement.
"It's definitely a hacker," Holland said. "Obviously my fiancée can get into it, but trust me, she's not like that. She's one of the nicest people in the world."
The league restricts players from using social media 30 minutes prior to the start of games and during games, which makes the situation even stranger. To Holland, the debacle is downright absurd.
"To hear something like that once I came out of the game kind of kills me," Holland said. "People do dumb things and if that's what makes them happy, let them do that. But trust me, I'm better than that. I would never do that, especially during a game."
We'll see what the investigation eventually turns up, but Holland is already right about one thing: People do do dumb things.
Oh, by the way, Holland's Twitter handle is @Dutch_Oven45, so…
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