Red Sox Keep Pitcher Matt Dermody Despite Outrage Over Old Tweets Saying Homosexuals 'Will Go To Hell'
Matt Dermody will pitch for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night. Because of past tweets, Dermody is facing pushback from the typical outrage mob leading up to his start, but also receiving grace from the Red Sox.
Boston Pitcher Bashed For Controversial Tweets
Dermody, who spent last year with the Saitama Sea Dragons, posted a tweet in 2021 denouncing homosexuality. He preached a biblical doctrine in his controversial responses.
Matt Dermody later deleted the tweets, though screenshots of his online activity later surfaced, prompting a response by the Red Sox organization. His controversial tweet read:
"#PrideMonth. Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will go to hell. That is not my opinion, but the #Truth. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9. May we all examine our hearts, ask Jesus to forgive us, and repent for our sins. I love you all in Christ Jesus!"
News of Dermody's tweets prompted more screenshots of his Twitter account. Online critics began to bash Dermody for his Christian values and for supporting ex-U.S. President, Donald Trump.
Matt Dermody has been pitching for the Worcester Red Sox since signing his deal with Boston. The left-hander went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine games (eight starts) for Worcester.
Red Sox Decide To Stick To Baseball Over Outrage
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom addressed the tweets and the team's response.
The team reportedly considered cutting their ties with the 32-year-old after signing him to a contract in January. Added conversations between the Red Sox and Dermody established that the player had no ill will and that the relationship could continue forward.
The Red Sox are acknowledging the matter but remaining steadfast in moving on alongside Matt Dermody and not letting the outside noise be a distraction.
“It’s important to us that he had taken the tweet down and important why he had done it,” said Chaim Bloom, via MassLive.com. “I talked to him personally about that and what he told me was that it really came down to two things. One, he didn’t realize that his words would be hurtful and he didn’t want to hurt anybody and when he realized that they were, he took (the post) down.”
“He also understood that it’s not the right use of his platform,” Bloom said. “He knows he made a mistake tweeting that. That’s why he took it down. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that we endorse anything he said or anything he believes. But the fact of the matter is, if we’re committed to creating an (inclusive) environment, it’s not right for us to police what people believe.”
The typical media outlets have been outraged by Dermody's online behavior.
Worcester Red Sox LHP Matt Dermody (67) throws a pitch during a AAA MiLB. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Some called Boston's decision to keep Dermody an uneven standard, comparing his tweets to racist rhetoric in America.
Perhaps all media outlets should do what the Red Sox did: stick to baseball.