Toronto Blue Jays' Alek Manoah awarded $100K 'sportsmanship sponsorship' for defending teammate online
After standing up for his teammate following a bout of online bullying, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah has been awarded Dove Men+Care’s first ‘sponsorship for sportsmanship.'
The sponsorship, which will be officially awarded to Manoah before Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre, comes with proceeds of $100,000 to be donated to charity.
The act of sportsmanship in question was displayed on social media in an interaction between Manoah and TSN Montreal radio host Matthew Ross on Sept. 14, after Ross made a negative comment about Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk’s weight. Bell Media is the parent company of TSN and CTV.
"It's cute and all, but it's also embarrassing for the sport. Giving guys like this prominence feeds negative stereotypes,” wrote Ross in a now-deleted tweet in response to a video of Kirk running from first plate to home posted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manoah was quick to come to his teammate's defence, tweeting back at Ross, “What’s actually embarrassing for the sport is people that go by the name of Matthew and have never played a day in the big leagues thinking they can control the narrative and stereotypes. Go ahead and tell that 8-year-old kid who is 10lbs overweight that he should quit now.”
“Just step aside from the keyboard and let [Kirk] inspire those kids to continue to chase their dreams and chase greatness,” he added shortly after.
After a bit of back and forth between Manoah and Ross, Ross eventually deleted both his tweets and his Twitter account. Days later, he posted an apology from his podcast's social media accounts.
“I want to sincerely apologize to Alejandro Kirk, Alek Manoah, the Toronto Blue Jays, Jays fans and anyone else offended by my initial tweet,” he said.
“The words were harsh. The sentiment was out of bounds and I deeply regret it. Period.”
In an interview with CTV News Toronto Tuesday, Manoah said he meant what he said “from the heart.”
“There’s a lot of trolls out there,” Manoah said. “But the biggest thing I saw with that negative tweet was that it was from a verified account [..] He obviously has a voice that people listen to and I didn’t agree with how he was using his platform to bring negativity to one of our players.”
Manoah spoke highly of Kirk, saying he “plays and works so hard.”
“He’s a great teammate, and he inspires a lot of people to want to be great.”
Of Kirk and Manoah's relationship, Manoah said they're close both "on and off the field."
"My bond with him is pretty close and we both know that," he said. "We don't even really need to talk much about this. He knows I have his back no matter what, I know he has my break no matter what -- he's going to be my brother always."
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk can be seen above. (Abby O'Brien/CTV News Toronto)
After being informed he was the recipient of Dove Men+Care’s first ‘sportsmanship sponsorship,’ Manoah decided he would donate the proceeds to KidsSport.
“KidsSports is an organization that allows the next generation of players to continue to play – they come from all different backgrounds, they’re not all the stereotypical athletes,” he said.
“It’s very hard to get to this stage [in the MLB], so why are we going to throw extra negative connotations on kids when it’s already hard enough?”
When asked what he hoped fans would take from all this, Manoah said he hopes they never let negativity hold them back.
“Continue to follow your dreams, no matter what,” he said.
“There’s going to be a lot of negative people, a lot of people that try to put you down, but continue to follow your dreams and work hard, as long as you love what you do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.