MLB: The Rockies investigate alleged racist event and say a fan was misheard

Denver, Colorado - A disturbing act of racism seems to have reared its ugly head yet again. This time, it occurred during America’s pastime, when a black baseball player allegedly became the subject of one of the worst slurs ever uttered.

Miami centerfielder Lewis Brinson was at-bat when a fan was thought to have yelled out a racial slur during the game.
Miami centerfielder Lewis Brinson was at-bat when a fan was thought to have yelled out a racial slur during the game.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

The Colorado Rockies started an investigation late Sunday night into a potential racist incident that occurred during its Sunday afternoon game against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field, the team's home ballpark.

Lewis Brinson (27), an outfielder for the Marlins, was the perceived target of a derogatory slur that was heard on air during a television broadcast of the game.

The racial slur was caught by field-level microphones as part of the Bally Sports Florida telecast, the Miami-local network that broadcasts Marlins games both at home and on the road.

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Brinson was at the plate to bat during the top of the ninth inning when a spectator seemingly yelled out the "n-word" multiple times in-between pitches.

Jason Latimer, spokesperson for the Marlins, told The Associated Press via text message that "neither Lewis, nor any other Marlins on the field or in the dugout, heard what was shouted."

The Rockies themselves made an official statement through their Twitter account in response to the incident.

"The Colorado Rockies are disgusted at the racial slur by a fan directed at the Marlins' Lewis Brinson during the ninth inning of today's game," it read. "Although the subject was not identified prior to the end of the game, the Rockies are still investigating this incident."

Many fans had moved seats at the time of the incident

The alleged racist incident occurred at the Rockies' home ballpark, Coors Field.
The alleged racist incident occurred at the Rockies' home ballpark, Coors Field.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

As the event occurred during the final stages of the game, many fans had already left the stadium.

Remaining spectators had migrated down to the lower seat sections, which are closest to the field, anticipating the start of a postgame concert.

This might explain why the alleged racist heckler was in range of the microphones.

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Officials for the Rockies claimed they weren’t able to immediately assess the situation along with the stadium ushers until after the concert was finished, about an hour after the game had ended.

Despite no current witness accounts, nor video or audio evidence from any Rockies-affiliated TV or radio sources, it was the Marlins organization that brought the incident to the home team’s attention.

"The Rockies have zero tolerance for any form of racism or discrimination, and any fan using derogatory language of any kind will be ejected and banned from Coors Field," the Rockies additionally stated afterwards.

The Rockies’ findings summed up a different story

Dinger, the mascot of the Colorado Rockies.
Dinger, the mascot of the Colorado Rockies.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

As of Monday afternoon, the Rockies seemed to have changed their tune.

The team informed Steve Staeger of local Denver news channel 9NEWS that the slur was misheard.

They claim the fan was actually shouting "Dinger", which is the name of their mascot – a dinosaur character named in reference to a fossil found on the stadium grounds.

Staeger also reported that the team has spoken to the suspected fan and also reviewed video from the local broadcast to confirm the mishap.

He added that AT&T Sportsnet, another local broadcaster, was the source of the video footage to aid in their findings.

The entire investigation was done in less than 24 hours, with no official input, assistance, or statement from Major League Baseball.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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