Rivalry and competitiveness is all part of sports, and trash-talking adds a level of this that helps to make the sports world so fun and unique. The deeper you go into the season, and the higher the stakes get in playoffs, the taunting intensifies to match the feel of the game.
Unfortunately, sometimes it goes a little too far. We’ve heard about fans making racist, sexist, or other discriminatory taunts towards the athletes, and one New York Yankees fan definitely crossed the line while trying to taunt Houston Astros pitcher Zack Greinke.
As reported by Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, a group of Yankees fans began making very personal digs at the Astros pitcher. Greinke has discussed his battles with a social anxiety disorder and depression in the past, and this was one of the main points of focus for the heckles.
While the exact heckles were not revealed, they apparently involved mention of prescription drugs. Other heckles included digs at Greinke’s mother, as well as calling him “Donald” – his given name at birth.
It seems as though the fans did a quick Wikipedia search of Greinke, and started picking apart whatever they could, but it ultimately got one fan ejected. Greinke later claimed to not hear the heckles, although the catcher he was working with did stop the warmups to look at the fans and mention something to security.
Not a good look no matter what ballpark you’re in. The Astros would have the last laugh as they went on to win 83-, bringing them to within one win of a World Series appearance.
(H/T Brendan Kuty, NJ.com)
