Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass (52) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. May 31, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass (52) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday night was not the homecoming that Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass was hoping for.

Last week, Bass made headlines after he shared a video promoting anti-LGBTQ boycotts of Bud Light and Target, something that has been making the rounds in conservative circles. The video not only contained harmful stereotypes about the LGBTQ community but referred to pride campaigns by each company as “demonic” and “evil.”

On Tuesday, Bass apologized, saying he was “truly sorry” and that he would use the resources within the Blue Jays organization to become better educated about the issues.

While that might be something for the future, right now, Toronto fans were not pleased with Bass when he took the field on Wednesday, booing him over his video and perceived stances.

As another person at the game pointed out, the CN Tower, which is next to the stadium, lit up in rainbow colors as Bass took the mount and pitched.

Bass pitched one scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one. He was then booed again by the home crowd after leaving the mound.

It’s adding insult to injury for Bass, who entered the game with a 4.50 ERA over 18 innings. It’s also the first time since 2017 that his WAR is under 0.0.

[Mike Wilner, Happy Leafs Fan]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.