Montreal sports host apologizes for ‘insensitive’ tweet about Blue Jays catcher Kirk

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk runs on the way to scoring on a single by Matt Chapman off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Posted September 18, 2022 5:23 pm.

Last Updated September 18, 2022 5:27 pm.

A Montreal radio host has apologized for making fun of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk’s weight in a tweet posted by the team during a game on September 13.

“We would run through a wall for Captain,” the Blue Jays tweeted as video of Kirk played showing the catcher rounding the bases.

We would run through a wall for Captain @alejandro_kirk ???? pic.twitter.com/9PHrjlLDf8

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 14, 2022

Matthew Ross, a TSN 690 sports talk radio weekend host, replied to the tweet, calling the video “embarrassing for the sport” and that giving “guys like this prominence feeds negative baseball stereotypes.”

Kirk, who became an All-Star this year in his first full season in the major leagues, is listed as five-foot-eight and 245 pounds by the Blue Jays.

While Ross wasn’t the only one who made disparaging remarks regarding Kirk’s weight on the Blue Jays tweet, his was the one that was harshly singled out by Toronto pitcher Alek Manoah. He called out Ross as someone who has never played a day in the big league and “thinking they can control the narrative and stereotypes.”

“Go ahead and tell that 8 year old kid who is 10lbs over weight that he should quit now,” responded Manoah. “Or just step aside from the keyboard and let KIRK inspire those kids to continue to chase their dreams and chase greatness.”

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. Go ahead and tell that 8 year old kid who is 10lbs over weight that he should quit now. Or https://t.co/c4cbTABMbx

— MANOAH (@Alek_Manoah6) September 15, 2022

Ross initially responded to Manoah’s defence of his teammate, calling him “narrow-minded” for not seeing that he was actually defending the sport.

“Imagine how much better he’d be if he were in shape,” reads Ross’ tweet which has since been deleted along with the Twitter account.

Matthew Ross tweet, which has since been deleted.

In an apology posted to Facebook on Saturday, Ross acknowledged that his words were “harsh” and that the sentiment “was out of bounds.”

He went on to say that he took the Blue Jays tweet as “tongue in cheek. Almost as though they were poking fun,” adding he thought his ineloquent tweet “would lead to more jokes about the sport.”

Ross said Manoh’s defence of Kirk pushed the narrative of his tweet in a different direction than he had intended.

“I was simply a sports host having a take on something sports related but I was insensitive and wrong for posting this.”

“As someone who experienced the horrors of bullying, and who has seen people close to me deal with very painful body related struggles, my heart broke that anyone could think of me as this monster.”