Keith Hernandez Accused Of 'Homophobic' Remark In World Series Broadcast

Ron Dicker
Updated

Maybe Keith Hernandez ought to skip the regional references.

The Fox Sports analyst came under fire Wednesday for a perceived homophobic joke during the World Series Game 7 pregame show.

It began when fellow analyst David Ortiz pretended to lick Hernandez, in a playful reference to Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig’s habit of licking his bats.

Hernandez responded by holding up his hand and apparently saying, “I’m not from San Francisco, bro!”

But it wasn’t immediately clear if Hernandez, who was born and raised in the Bay Area, was actually saying “I’m from San Fransisco, bro,” which he later seems to imply.

Either way, the online reaction was swift, as many viewed his comment as a swipe at the extensive gay community in the city. Some social media users called him “homophobic.”

In a statement that Fox Sports emailed to HuffPost, Hernandez doled out a public apology, while emphasizing his San Francisco roots. He also insisted that his retort was a nod to the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants rivalry.

“I made a poor attempt at humor and never intended for it to be taken the wrong way,” Hernandez said. “I am from San Francisco and as baseball fans know, the Dodgers/Giants rivalry runs deep. I did not grow up a Dodger fan and when it came down to Giants vs. Dodgers, I rooted for the Giants. I apologize if any offense was taken.”

In a June game at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Hernandez was covering the Mets for SNY when he said Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark, who had been hit hard in another game, was “getting his tits lit.” In that case, the former MLB star thought he was off the air on a commercial break.

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