BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Red Sox reportedly release prospect Brett Netzer after series of racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic tweets

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Saturday, February 26, 2022

Red Sox reportedly release prospect Brett Netzer after series of racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic tweets

The Red Sox released prospect Brett Netzer on Saturday after he sent several racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic tweets, The Athletic’s Chad Jennings reported and The Boston Globe‘s Alex Speier later confirmed.

Netzer’s tweets attacked Black Americans, transgender people, and Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.

“chaim bloom is a bad actor,” Netzer wrote in his first of several tweets attacking Bloom. “dude went to hebrew school and studied the torah growing up but sold his soul to the sodom and race groups. good thing he is good at whatever he does in baseball.”

“is chaim bloom even jewish?? highly doubtful,” Netzer wrote in another tweet.

Bloom is Jewish and keeps kosher. During his days as a Rays executive, he lived close to Tropicana Field in order to make Shabbat with his family on Friday nights. He also skipped the playoff-clinching game for the Rays in 2011 for Rosh Hashanah.

In his tweet attacking transgender people, Netzer wrote “any person who is secretly transgender, and their partner does not know, and sexual actions have taken place, is a rapist and a sexual molester. may God be the judge.”

In the following tweet, he attacked Black people.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 26, 2022 at 11:24 PM | 41 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: red sox

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1. Arch Stanton Posted: February 27, 2022 at 06:02 AM (#6066296)

Oh. He's from Tega Cay, SC. That makes it far more likely that (1) he thinks he's better than everyone else and (2) because of (1), he thinks he can make horrible comments without consequences.

2. Jeff Francoeur's OPS Posted: February 27, 2022 at 07:19 AM (#6066298)

I went to his Twitter feed. Wow, what a nut job. Anyways, 25 years old in AA, sporting a 0.682 OPS and a 2.87 SO/BB ratio, it looks like the Sox helped him speed up his search for a new career, but now with a slew of embarrassing Google search results.

3. pikepredator Posted: February 27, 2022 at 11:06 AM (#6066303)

Cue the people whinging about 'cancel culture'. This is consequences for your behavior. I'm glad the Sox aren't hiding behind "poor performance" as the reason for letting him go.

4. Adam Starblind Posted: February 27, 2022 at 11:06 AM (#6066304)

I don’t think he’ll be embarrassed.

5. Jeff Francoeur's OPS Posted: February 27, 2022 at 11:10 AM (#6066305)

This isn't cancel culture.

6. Adam Starblind Posted: February 27, 2022 at 11:12 AM (#6066307)

More of a self-pwn.

7. Nasty Nate Posted: February 27, 2022 at 12:08 PM (#6066311)

Why didn't he play last year?

8. GregD Posted: February 27, 2022 at 12:35 PM (#6066315)

Ladies and gentlemen, your next congressman from the great state of South Carolina

9. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: February 27, 2022 at 01:18 PM (#6066317)

Why didn't he play last year?

I’m just gonna go way out on a limb here and speculate that he may have engaged in some interpersonal conduct that resulted in a suspension.

10. Jose is Absurdly Correct but not Helpful Posted: February 27, 2022 at 02:32 PM (#6066327)

Why didn't he play last year?

This from Chris Hatfield of the excellent SoxProspects.com;

Netzer was on the restricted list last year & didn't play. I was told in May he’d decided not to play baseball. Rant today is after a year-plus of silence on his social media. Hopefully he gets the help he seems to need.

Honestly this sounds like someone who needs help. The comments are inexcusable of course but he went from not tweeting at all for a year to just a full on rant that seemed entirely unprovoked.

11. LargeBill Posted: February 27, 2022 at 05:06 PM (#6066345)

10. Jose Has Absurd Goosebump Arms Posted: February 27, 2022 at 02:32 PM (#6066327)

Honestly this sounds like someone who needs help. The comments are inexcusable of course but he went from not tweeting at all for a year to just a full on rant that seemed entirely unprovoked.

Agree. Having dealt with some bi-polar folks and people with other mental issues an outburst like this would fit with several psych profiles. Though usually their loss of control is done verbally not in written form. Regardless, he's done with baseball and baseball is done with him. Hope he has family in a position to get him help. Unfortunately, many burn all bridges with family/friends before help is possible.

12. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: February 27, 2022 at 06:09 PM (#6066348)

Ladies and gentlemen, your next congressman from the great state of South Carolina

He'd have to wait until 2026, but if he ran for the Senate he'd be a worthy successor to Pitchfork Ben Tillman and J. Strom Thurmond.

13. GregD Posted: February 27, 2022 at 06:32 PM (#6066350)

And John Calhoun and the worst of them all Coleman Blease. That’s quite a senate seat

14. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: February 27, 2022 at 07:51 PM (#6066353)

Agree. Having dealt with some bi-polar folks and people with other mental issues an outburst like this would fit with several psych profiles.

But does he have mental issues or is he just some racist piece of sh*t that modern society is making excuses for? I'm more then happy for society to reach out to people who genuinely need assistance, but in many cases the person is just an awful human. The world is having a major issue with one right now.

Not saying that this is the case with Netzer, but I think these days we are almost too quick to lean the other way and hand wave away cr*ppy behaviour under the guise of mental health.

It's like nowadays no one's kid is poorly behaved. They've all got some diagnoses to explain poor behaviour. As a guy with 5 grown kids, 3 teenage step kids and who coached various sport teams and various levels; I can confirm that some kids are just bad. Their parents are equally sh*tty in most cases.

15. Soul Man Posted: February 27, 2022 at 08:48 PM (#6066357)

It's also possible that he's a bad guy who also happens to have mental health issues...in which case, getting mental help could have a bonus effect of at least tempering his worst impulses.

16. reech Posted: February 27, 2022 at 09:17 PM (#6066358)

Some people are just ########.
Don't blame it on mental health or not getting enough hugs.

17. sunday silence (again) Posted: February 27, 2022 at 09:40 PM (#6066359)

I can confirm that some kids are just bad. Their parents are equally sh*tty in most cases.

And the conclusion you draw from that is that those are just a random coincidence?

18. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: February 27, 2022 at 10:47 PM (#6066362)

#17, obviously it's not random. However, as we all know, sometimes you get real nice parents and horrible kids and really awful adults and the kids are really kind and compassionate at the stage I seem them.

However I gotta go with reech here, some people are just selfish, miserable humans. I watched that video of that camera woman falling off that stage during the Ram's celebration and Stafford didn't even make any effort to help her, that to me is some f*cked up sh*t.

19. Brian C Posted: February 27, 2022 at 10:48 PM (#6066363)

And the conclusion you draw from that is that those are just a random coincidence?

What a strange response, and Exhibit Infinity of the tendency on the internet to just shove words into peoples' mouths without regard to how implausible those words may be.

20. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: February 27, 2022 at 11:12 PM (#6066364)

#19. I just let it go. It seemed obtuse when he posted it, but I figure there are far more interesting things to spend my time on.

21. Starring Bradley Scotchman as RMc Posted: February 28, 2022 at 07:01 AM (#6066370)

looks like the Sox helped him speed up his search for a new career

Is Newsmax hiring?

22. Adam Starblind Posted: February 28, 2022 at 07:28 AM (#6066371)

I think Newsmax takes pretty much whoever.

23. chisoxcollector Posted: February 28, 2022 at 07:29 AM (#6066372)

However I gotta go with reech here, some people are just selfish, miserable humans. I watched that video of that camera woman falling off that stage during the Ram's celebration and Stafford didn't even make any effort to help her, that to me is some f*cked up sh*t.

The way he takes a drink of water immediately after saying “oh shit” or whatever makes it look worse than it was. He does immediately go towards the back of the stage to get some employees to help.

“Oh, and this “prospect” is a piece of ####. Mental illness may or may not have contributed to the sudden outburst, but I would imagine the sentiment of the messages is all his.

24. Jose is Absurdly Correct but not Helpful Posted: February 28, 2022 at 08:22 AM (#6066373)

But does he have mental issues or is he just some racist piece of sh*t that modern society is making excuses for? I'm more then happy for society to reach out to people who genuinely need assistance, but in many cases the person is just an awful human. The world is having a major issue with one right now.

Not saying that this is the case with Netzer, but I think these days we are almost too quick to lean the other way and hand wave away cr*ppy behaviour under the guise of mental health.

It's like nowadays no one's kid is poorly behaved. They've all got some diagnoses to explain poor behaviour. As a guy with 5 grown kids, 3 teenage step kids and who coached various sport teams and various levels; I can confirm that some kids are just bad. Their parents are equally sh*tty in most cases.

Bad people crack up too though. I don't doubt he's a piece of crap but the kid goes from not tweeting for a year to a long unhinged rant seemingly out of nowhere? I won't be surprised if something is up there.

On the more general scale of your comments first of all...holy crap that's a lot of kids. Second of all I think mental health is a big part of what causes people to do terrible things. I believe if we do a better job of addressing the issues rather than simply punishing bad behavior we are better off. That's not to say people in some cases aren't just awful. As has been driven home at great length over the last two years they are. But there are many actions that occur due to something underlying and people not being equipped mentally or emotionally to handle it properly.

25. Jobu is silent on the changeup Posted: February 28, 2022 at 09:32 AM (#6066381)

Not to defend him, but he is correct that saying Chaim Bloom is a bad Jew isn't remotely anti-Semitic. It seems to make him factually wrong, but when you want to vent about your horrible and unfair boss (I mean, players don't put themselves on the restricted list), you take the shots you can take - no matter how stupid.

26. RoyalFlush Posted: February 28, 2022 at 10:42 AM (#6066386)

Not to defend him, but he is correct that saying Chaim Bloom is a bad Jew isn't remotely anti-Semitic. It seems to make him factually wrong, but when you want to vent about your horrible and unfair boss (I mean, players don't put themselves on the restricted list), you take the shots you can take - no matter how stupid.

I disagree. I think anti-Semitic. Just another way of dehumanzing a minority. It's no different than Tucker Calrson intentionally mispronouncing Kamala Harris's name for six month or his claim that AOC isn't really a woman of color.

27. Dog on the sidewalk has an ugly bracelet Posted: February 28, 2022 at 11:06 AM (#6066390)

Ignored in all this is a rant about pet ownership that would make Ray proud.

28. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 28, 2022 at 11:42 AM (#6066402)

Netzer is saying that Chaim Bloom is a bad Jew because he supports the LGBTQ community, and he asserts that Jewish people should be homophobic according to the Torah.

29. JJ1986 Posted: February 28, 2022 at 12:27 PM (#6066409)

Not to defend him, but he is correct that saying Chaim Bloom is a bad Jew isn't remotely anti-Semitic. It seems to make him factually wrong, but when you want to vent about your horrible and unfair boss (I mean, players don't put themselves on the restricted list), you take the shots you can take - no matter how stupid.

Christians deciding what it means to be a good Jew is incredibly anti-Semitic.

30. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: February 28, 2022 at 12:57 PM (#6066413)

he is correct that saying Chaim Bloom is a bad Jew isn't remotely anti-Semitic.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

31. Jobu is silent on the changeup Posted: February 28, 2022 at 01:25 PM (#6066417)

26, 27, and 29 - Valid points, and ways I hadn't looked at it. I was looking at it as specific vs. general (like if I say Brett Netzer is a shitty 3B, it doesn't mean I have anything against 3B) but I nod respectfully toward your counterpoints and change my vote.

32. Bret Sabermatrician Posted: February 28, 2022 at 04:08 PM (#6066435)

As a South Carolinian against my will, I actually grew up with a lot of Tega Cay kids. I'd like to say he isn't indicative of the kids I played baseball and soccer with ages ago, but I can't. The things they said to the black kids on our soccer team can't be repeated in impolite conversation. It's an enclave of racists with trashy mcmansions who somehow have too muchmoney that makes you think you've failed by not being a raging a###@$&.

33. Adam Starblind Posted: February 28, 2022 at 05:07 PM (#6066442)

31. Jobu is silent on the changeup Posted: February 28, 2022 at 01:25 PM (#6066417)
26, 27, and 29 - Valid points, and ways I hadn't looked at it. I was looking at it as specific vs. general (like if I say Brett Netzer is a shitty 3B, it doesn't mean I have anything against 3B) but I nod respectfully toward your counterpoints and change my vote.

Jobu, this is the internet. You're really not supposed to do that.

34. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: March 10, 2022 at 05:47 PM (#6067284)

Netzer admits to raping a girl in college in a bizarre Youtube video.

35. base ball chick Posted: March 10, 2022 at 09:28 PM (#6067332)

this here boy running a few bricks shy of a load. he sound like he's about to go all charlie sheen with tiger blood or goddesses or something else completely mental. next thing you know he think HE is the Messiah

i wouldn't be surprised if he was restricted because he was in a psych hospital or something

most effed up kids have effed up parents/caregivers. you don't hardly never see a kid who is seriously no good and his parents and rest of his siblings are fine. trauma is multi-generational and it is hard to be free of it trust me on this. rich and White does not give you a pass to be free of a effed up life

36. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: March 10, 2022 at 10:06 PM (#6067347)

Yep, and unfortunately for the young woman, as I first stated above, he's just a piece of sh*t.

37. Padraic Posted: March 10, 2022 at 11:20 PM (#6067360)

some people are just selfish, miserable humans. I watched that video of that camera woman falling off that stage during the Ram's celebration and Stafford didn't even make any effort to help her, that to me is some f*cked up sh*t.

That was kinda bad, but then again there are awesome people like Jalen Hurts.

38. Howie Menckel Posted: March 10, 2022 at 11:49 PM (#6067365)

honk if you fear that every time this thread revives, the news is of a suicide.

(and if he's guilty of what he claims, I very much understand a reluctance to be saddened. but still.)

39. Jose is Absurdly Correct but not Helpful Posted: March 11, 2022 at 12:33 AM (#6067367)

Honk.

I think it’s reasonable to say he’s a pretty bad dude and that I hope he gets the help it certainly seems he needs.

40. base ball chick Posted: March 11, 2022 at 01:24 AM (#6067368)

Honk

or, worse, homicide. he be just the type to have guns and go shoot up something or some folks who didn't think he is the new king of the Jews or something

bad dude. or mental dude. can't b sure which. maybe both

41. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: March 11, 2022 at 08:34 AM (#6067372)

My late foster brother was bipolar. A glance at Netzer's twitter feed looks a lot like the stuff my brother was posting on FB shortly before he died.

People are responsible for themselves and all that. But I wouldn't take anything anyone says or claims in the midst of what appears to be a pretty serious manic episode as (a) true, or (b) representative of what they really believe.

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Saturday, February 26, 2022

Red Sox reportedly release prospect Brett Netzer after series of racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic tweets

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