Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran sparked controversy after being caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur toward a fan during an MLB game. This moment caught the attention of the sports world instantly. Despite the egregious usage of a slur, the Corona, Calif., native saw his jersey sales skyrocket on the MLB and Fanatics online apparel stores.
Despite leading the Red Sox with 146 hits, a .290 batting average, 14 home runs, and an MLB-best 13 triples, Jarren Duran has overshadowed his accomplishments with his words. Many MLB fans supported him. Jersey sales went higher than following his being named the 2024 All-Star Game MVP.
Jarren Duran Gets Caught on Hot Mic
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Following three straight Red Sox losses, Jarren Duran entered a Sunday game against the Houston Astros. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Duran faced a 1-2 count after striking out in his previous two at-bats. A Boston fan heckled him from the stands.
“Tennis racket! Tennis racket! You need a tennis racket!”
Duran was infuriated by this heckle, responding with vitriol “Shut up you f—ing f—.” Duran used a historically derogatory term for homosexuals.
Following the Sunday afternoon 10-2 loss, Duran gave a seemingly sincere apology to the fans it affected.
“I’ve had some fans reach out to me and tell me that they are disappointed in me,” Duran said. “I just wanted to let them know that I’m sorry for my actions.”
The Boston Red Sox reiterated his apology, followed by an announcement regarding his brief two-game suspension.
“We echo Jarren’s apology to our fans, especially to the LGBTQ community. We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity.”
Jarren Duran’s Punishment
Despite strong condemnation by the Red Sox and Jarren Duran, he was given a two-game suspension by MLB. His game checks were donated to PFLAG, a nonprofit that assists LGBTQ communities. Coming back from suspension, he had quick words about the situation.
“I’m just excited to be back with my teammates,” Duran said. “I can’t really put it into words (what the suspension was like). It was just a mistake that I made and I just had to deal with those two days by myself, and it was tough. … I’m still kind of upset at myself and I know there’s a lot of people upset at me. So I don’t know how I’m gonna take today but I’m just gonna go out there and try to focus on some baseball.”
From some points of view, it appears that Duran and MLB want to move past this situation at lightning speed. Despite the Red Sox’s apparent dedication to being allies with the LGBTQ+ community with events like Pride Night, they also want to move on. In a situation such as this, one should expect the MLB to administer sensitivity training, much like they did with Milwaukee Brewers’ Josh Hader following a controversy in 2018.
Instead, Jarren Duran got two extra days at home and a surprise from the MLB’s jersey sales department.
Sports Fans Unite Behind Duran
In a city in which an estimated 4.9% of residents are of an LGBT background, MLB fans there (and around the country) went to support Duran via a jersey purchase.
“Duran’s jersey, at the time of publishing, is the top-selling jersey on the online MLB shop.” – Ryan Morik of Fox News
This revelation might lead more than 180,000 LGBT Boston residents to view their team and city as indifferent to hateful rhetoric. It might even seem like they are endorsing hate speech. This has become a little trend in sports. Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov saw a jump in jersey sales after refusing to wear pride-themed gear during warmups. Similarly, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker experienced a spike in jersey sales following his outdated speech at Benedictine College.
Final Thoughts
It looks like MLB and Boston failed to ensure LGBTQ+ fans around the world that they are respected and protected. Massachusetts has seen a year-over-year increase in hate crimes related to sexual orientation and gender identity over the past four years. Boston itself saw 159 hate crimes reported in 2022.
Such statistics point out some issues. A lack of protection allowing people to be themselves might look like hate speech is being normalized. The core of Boston’s community lies with the Red Sox. It looks like Boston fans are not going to forget how the team responded in this matter.
As a Boston Red Sox fan and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am disgusted by Jarren Duran’s hate speech. Furthermore, I am disappointed with my childhood team’s lack of effective action.
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