Marcus Stroman Comments on ‘Racist Undertones’ After Bob Brenly’s Durag Remark

Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman responded late Tuesday night to comments made by former Diamondbacks manager and current television analyst Bob Brenly during Tuesday's contest featuring the two teams.

Brenly, the World Series–winning manager who now works for Bally Sports Arizona, remarked on Stroman's attire during the fourth inning.

"Pretty sure that's the same durag that Tom Seaver used to wear when he pitched for the Mets," Brenly said during the telecast.

Stroman responded to Brenly's comments, saying on Twitter, "Onward and upward...through all adversity and racist undertones. The climb continues through all!"

He also retweeted a number of messages that criticized Brenly's remarks, including one that read, "I am not surprised by this type of language towards African-American athletes. It’s the blatant racism and it’s been going on for a long time." 

Stroman quote-tweeted that message, writing, "Since I can’t say it because media will turn this against me somehow..."

Brenly said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that, "During last night's game, I made a poor attempt at humor that was insensitive and wrong. I apologize to Marcus Stroman and have reached out directly to share those thoughts. I have had several conversations with the D-Backs and we agree that seeking sensitivity training is an important step so that I can continue to learn from my mistakes in order to be better in the future." 

Stroman allowed seven hits and three runs in six innings in his start. 

At the end of the fifth inning, a verbal exchange between Stroman and Diamondbacks second baseman Josh Rojas led to players from both teams converging at first base and exchanging words.

“He was looking at me after I flew out. We made eye contact and then we had an exchange of words, but, I mean, just trying to get the guys going,” Rojas said. “You know, he's out there throwing well, let's try to mix things up there and stir the pot a little bit and get us going.”

The Mets went on to lose, 6–5, in 10 innings. Following the loss, they dropped to 26–21 on the season, but remain in first place in the NL East.