Social media has given people an outlet for their worst impulses. They can say whatever hateful and derogatory remarks they feel like under a blanket of relative anonymity knowing that they are not likely to face the consequences they would in person, such as a fist to the nose. But sometimes, those remarks have other consequences, as former Boston Red Sox third round draft pick Brett Netzer found out.
Netzer, who had not been on Twitter since November 2020, suddenly resurfaced on Friday night. He began a string of hate filled rants which continued into Saturday. That commentary has likely ended his baseball career, as he was released by the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox drop the hammer on Brett Netzer
It is possible that Netzer was hacked considering how long it had been since he was last on Twitter before his spree of hatred. However, it is highly probable that the Red Sox would have contacted Netzer to find out what was happening before he was let go.
As it was, Netzer had not played since 2019. The 2020 season was a wash due to the pandemic, keeping minor leaguers from playing in any organization. He had been placed on the restricted list in Double-A last year and never played a game for the Portland SeaDogs despite being in spring training.
Interestingly, Netzer is not exactly denying his beliefs. Not only are those tweets still up, but he has admitted to being a racist and homophobe. However, he denied being anti-Semitic, despite his continued attacks on Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chiam Bloom, who he called “a hypocrite and an embarrassment.”
The Boston Red Sox have moved on from former third round pick Brett Netzer. His hate filled rantings have no place in baseball.