Josh Hader Gets Standing Ovation

Dylan Hernandez, sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, is not happy that fans at Miller Park gave Josh Hader a standing ovation.

He got a standing ovation. Probably not Milwaukee's finest moment. https://t.co/HMuycbIw6P

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) July 22, 2018

Hernandez writes:

Say an athlete posts messages on social media containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic language as a teenager and the messages later surface. Say the athlete is a key player on a beloved Los Angeles institution. And say the athlete apologizes profusely, crying as he explains that he isn’t the same person who posted the offensive messages.

Here’s a request to the fans of Los Angeles: When the athlete returns to the field, don’t do what the fans at Miller Park did when Josh Hader scaled the mound Saturday night.

Hader was making his first appearance since the All-Star game, when a series of objectionable tweets he wrote as a 17-year-old started circulating on social media.

With the Brewers leading the Dodgers 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Hader’s name was called over the stadium’s public address system.

The crowd roared. Some fans stood. Others followed. Then even more.

Oh, boy. A standing ovation.

“It means a lot,” Hader said, “having the Milwaukee support and just knowing they know my true character and just forgive me for my past because it’s not who I am today.”

And that was almost certainly the message the announced crowd of 36,242 fans wanted to send to Hader. The message they sent to the other parts of the country was less clear.

Message to other parts of the country?

What makes Hernandez assume Brewers fans intended to send a message to other parts of the country?

Hernandez continues:

Granted, by all accounts, Hader is extremely likable. His minority teammates immediately came to his defense and argued he wasn’t a racist. He apologized to the team before the series opener against the Dodgers on Friday, and cried as he did so. He later apologized to the public in a pregame news conference, at which the other Brewers players literally stood behind him.

It should also be pointed out that the majority of the offensive messages were quoting lines from rap songs or movies. The opinion here is that non-Blacks should never use the n-word under any circumstance, but directly quoting a rap lyric that contains the epithet could be an act of ignorance instead of malice.

The more egregious tweets pertained to homosexuals, including one that read, “I hate gay people.”

Shortly after the messages were unearthed, the commissioner’s office ordered Hader to undergo sensitivity training and participate in Major League Baseball’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. He agreed.

The decision to not suspend Hader reflected MLB’s belief that he shouldn’t be punished for the stupidity of his youth and that was he really wasn’t the same person who posted the messages.

Fine. But did the fans really have to give him a standing ovation?

“It’s the support of the home team, the home player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Obviously he addressed the team and felt very remorseful. I didn’t hear what he said. I know the organization, the players, the coaches are there to support him. Obviously, he’s remorseful. The fan base was here to support him. That’s what I saw.”

Right. It seems straightforward to me.

Hernandez, however, is looking for the true message behind the ovation.

The fans could have communicated that to him without rising to their feet. A warm applause would have been enough. Watching and listening to the over-the-top support of Hader, it was only natural to wonder if something else was at play.

The most charitable view was that they wanted to back a player whose life was turned upside down over the last few days. But Hader was responsible for the ordeal. He wasn’t a victim and didn’t ask to be treated like one.

Or was it something more sinister? Were the fans taking a tone-deaf stand against political correctness? Worse, were they supporting the discriminatory messages?

Oh, good grief!

That's right. Brewers fans gave Hader an ovation because they support the discriminatory messages he tweeted in high school.

People at Miller Park watching the game Saturday night weren't there to cheer the home team. They were there to rally in support of racism and misogyny and homophobia.

Ridiculous!

What Hernandez fails to understand is that people enjoy watching sports. They don't drag political baggage with them when they attend a game. They leave that crap outside the park, hoping to get relief from all the political insanity for a few hours. Following the Brewers is a diversion. It's fun. Why can't it just be fun?

I don't think Milwaukee fans took a "tone-deaf stand against political correctness" by showing support for their pitcher.

Nothing else at play. Nothing sinister.

Just root, root, rooting for the home team.

Milwaukee is very good at that.