In the second inning of World Series Game 3 on Friday night, as Yu Darvish was in the midst of getting lit up by Houston’s lineup on the way to a four-run inning and an early exit, Astros’ first baseman Yuli Gurriel was caught on camera in the dugout making mocking, racist gestures about the Dodgers’ Darvish, who is Japanese-Iranian.
Yuli Gurriel apologizes for mocking Yu Darvish with racist gesture during World Series Game 3
Gurriel and Darvish were both asked about the gesture after the game.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
In the video, which was mostly captured on the international feed of the game but was also partially shown on FOX’s main feed, Gurriel appears to stretch his eyes out in a mocking manner, mimicking Asian eyes.
It’s undoubtedly a racist gesture, and after the game members of both teams were asked about it.
Astros manager AJ Hinch said shortly after the game that he hadn’t been briefed on the incident full yet but that he knows Gurriel is “remorseful.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t see it happen, while Darvish called it “disrespectful” and said “He made a mistake. He’ll learn from it. We’re all human beings” according to the LA Times’ Andy McCullough. He also told reporters in Japanese that there should be some punishment levied.
He posted a response via Twitter as well, saying “no one is perfect.”
Whether Gurriel will learn from it with the help of a suspension or fine will be decided by the league, it appears. According to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, Gurriel is expected to meet with the league at some point before Game 4 on Saturday to discuss the incident — and that will include commissioner Rob Manfred who will decide on any punishment.
Multiple players have been suspended by either their team or the league for racial slurs or gestures including Yunel Escobar, Kevin Pillar, and Matt Joyce. To have this type of incident happen at any time or place in baseball is unacceptable, but to have it happen on as big a stage as the World Series should have the league even more concerned and diligent about recourse.
Gurriel apologized for the incident through a translator, saying “I didn’t want to offend anybody” and that he was “kind of shocked” when people told him he had offended others with his actions.
These post-game statements won’t be the last we hear of the incident, especially with the league deciding on Saturday if this merits punishment and if so what kind is appropriate.
Hopefully Gurriel learns from the entire situation and, at the very least, he doesn’t do anything like this again regardless of whether he is punished for it or not.
The quality of his apology, which is lukewarm at best and in which he fails to actually come to terms with what he did, isn’t a great first step. But that just means he has some more growing to do from here on out.
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