CJ Nitkowski might want that one back.
The Braves color analyst was congratulating an Atlanta player on the recent birth of their child when he used some awkward phrasing during the Braves’ 10-5 win over the Pirates on Thursday.
Right fielder Eli White was recently activated from the paternity list, with José Azócar designated for assignment for Atlanta.
“He and his wife, they’re just such great people,” Nitkowski began as he discussed White’s return.
“I said, ‘We need more great people in this world. The more Whites, the better off we’re going to be.’”
While Nitkowski was referring to White and his family, his choice of words quickly spread online and surfaced to the r/baseball Reddit page.
“Oh yeah he had that line locked and loaded,” one user said.
“You know he was hyped to sneak that in there,” another person said.
And a third said: “Come on man.”
Neither the Braves nor Nitkowski appear to have commented on the situation.
It’s not the first time that Nitkowski, a former pitcher who played 10 years in MLB, has found himself embroiled in controversy.
In 2018, Nitkowski liked a tweet from far-right group the Proud Boys, as they posted a picture of a USA women’s hockey player making an “Okay” sign, which has been associated with white nationalism.
Nitkowski later apologized and said he did not endorse the views of the Proud Boys.
The Braves will kick off a series against the Cardinals on Friday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
