TSN 690 Montreal host Matthew Ross has apologized for a Twitter comment about a Toronto Blue Jays player that the radio host admits was "harsh" and "out of bounds."
The initial, since-deleted tweet was in response to a September 13 video posted to the official Blue Jays account showing player Alejandro Kirk run from first base to home plate at the Rogers Centre.
"It's cute and all, but it's also embarrassing for the sport," Ross wrote in his tweet, widely reshared in screenshots on Twitter and in the media. "Giving guys like this prominence feeds negative [baseball] stereotypes."
Blue Jays player Alek Manoah then criticized Ross' comment in his own sharply-worded tweet.
"What’s actually embarrassing for the sport is people that go by the name of Matthew and have never played a day in the big leagues thinking they can control the narrative and stereotypes," the pitcher wrote in a tweet that garnered over 1,600 shares and almost 19,000 likes.
"Just step aside from the keyboard."
In his apology, Ross said he took the Blue Jays post that inspired his first comment "as tongue in cheek, almost as though they were poking fun."
He said it "never dawned" on him that his tweet would implicate "all people who may be struggling with body image issues" until he read Manoah's response.
Text of Matthew Ross' apology.Weekend Game Plan | Facebook
"I was clumsy and inconsiderate in my sports commentary," Ross continued. "Defaming people for the way they look is not where my heart or intent was in the moment — or ever!"
He extended the apology to Kirk, Manoah and "anyone who was offended" by the tweet.