Mariners Catcher Steve Clevenger Wants to throw Black Lives Matter Protesters in Jail "Like Animals" [UPDATE]

Steve Clevenger, a catcher for the Mariners you would have never heard of if he hadn't said some idiotic and racist shit on Twitter last night, said some idiotic and racist shit on Twitter last night. Clevenger was referring to the protests in Charlotte surrounding the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott, yet another black American citizen killed by police.

In a series of tweets that sound like they could have come from a Trump rally, Clevenger, whose account is now private, wrote "Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black officer haha shit cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the anthem!" and "BLM is pathetic once again! Obama you are pathetic once again! Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!" This is, obviously, objectively racist and highlights how truly fucked up and misguided some people in this country are, and how elected officials and pundits alike have emboldened hate through fear in an attempt to consolidate power and notoriety. The end result is a dipshit like Steve Clevenger somehow blaming the President of the United States for Charlotte residents being upset that their police force shot and killed their neighbor.

#Mariners say they are "looking into" controversial tweets coming pitcher Steve Clevenger's account screencapped by @cablebox666: pic.twitter.com/RcWNdqflGV
— Jon Humbert (@jonhumbert) September 22, 2016

The Mariners have done what teams do when one of their players does something stupid: released a statement expressing disappointment and noted that they "are currently examining all internal options that are available to us as we determine appropriate next steps," which sounds really complicated set of procedures for a guy who has slashed a gaudy .227/.284./.324 over his six-year career.

Update: Clevenger has entered Stage II of Saying Idiotic and Racist Shit, and issued what is being called an apology. In it, he says he is "sickened" that anyone would think of him "in racist terms." One good way of avoiding that discomfort is to not say racist things, but I digress. Here is his lengthy response to the outcry his racist tweets caused, annotated in bold:

"First and foremost," Clevenger said, "I would like to apologize to the Seattle Mariners, my teammates, my family and the fans of our great game for the distraction ("distraction") my tweets on my personal twitter page caused that went public earlier today.

"I am sickened by the idea that anyone would think of me in racist terms. My tweets were reactionary to the events I saw on the news and were worded beyond poorly at best, and I can see how and why someone could read into my tweets far more deeply than how I actually feel. (Steve Clevenger referred to protesters as both "thugs" and "animals.")

"I grew up on the streets of Baltimore, a city I love to this very day. I grew up in a very culturally diverse area of America, and I am very proud to come from there. I am also proud that my inner circle of friends has never been defined by race but by the content of their character. ("Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last." - The Seattle Mariners, after designating Steve Clevenger for assignment.)

"Any former teammate or anyone who has met me can attest to this, and I pride myself on not being a judgmental person. (Steve Clevenger referred to protesters as both "thugs" and "animals.") I just ask that the public not judge me because of an ill-worded tweet.

"I do believe that supporting our First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive. With everything going on in the world, I really just want what is best for everyone regardless of who they are. I, like many Americans, are frustrated by a lot of things in the world and I would like to be a part of the dialogue moving forward to make this a better world for everyone. (His part in the dialogue will be the "un-helpful examples" part.)

"I once again apologize to anyone who was offended today, and I just ask you not judge me off of a social media posting. Thank you and God bless everyone." (Please for the love of God can someone just apologize for saying idiotic and racist shit they said and not turn it on "anyone who was offended"? Please?)