'All I Did Was Tweet'; Social Media Posts Cost Huff Invite To Giants World Series Reunion
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- This summer, the Giants will honor the 2010 championship team with a reunion at the ballpark, but former first baseman Aubrey Huff has been told to stay home.
Huff was an important member of the 2010 Giants. Now in retirement, his rhetoric has become increasingly inflammatory. He is an ardent supporter of President Trump and tweeted that he is teaching his children to shoot in case Bernie Sanders is elected President. He is often insulting to women and recently ridiculed the Giants for hiring Alyssa Nakken, the first woman coach in MLB history. Huff says he's just being "satirical."
Huff spent four months working as an on-air commentator on 95.7 The Game after retiring. In an interview on the station Tuesday morning, Huff doubled down on his opposition to women in men's sports.
"But I also don't believe that men belong in women's college sports or sports in general, either," he said. "Why would they want to be? I wouldn't want to coach women's sports. Women are tough enough to deal with anyway."
The Giants aren't laughing. They've told him he's not welcome at the August 16th player's reunion saying in a statement:
"Aubrey has made multiple comments on social media that are unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization. While we appreciate the many contributions that Aubrey made to the 2010 championship season, we stand by our decision."
Outside Oracle Park, the public was left to consider the line between free speech and poor taste.
"What you say carries more weight for the people that are listening to you. So, I wouldn't want to give him a stage or honor him," said Pat Jones, who rooted for the Giants during the 2010 season.
But another Giants fan, Humberto Gonzalez sees it differently,
"I feel like it's unfair to leave someone out that's part of a historical team …so why not let him in?"
Hector Geraldo says Huff has a right to speak his mind but the Giants also have a right to exclude him if they wish.
"You can do it on your outlets but you should not be given outlets for the larger community to hear you…or see you."
"You can tell his intentions," said SF resident Carlos Hernandez, "if he was just expressing his thoughts or he wants to, you know, pick on people."
When told about Huff not being invited, his former teammate Pablo Sandoval sounded a practical note.
"It doesn't surprise me," he said. "Sometimes you have to be polite. And you're going to get in trouble for what you post."
Huff also posted a statement on Twitter Monday morning, defending his posts and taking aim at the Giants management including team president Larry Baer.
"My locker room humor on Twitter is meant to be satirical, not sarcastic," he tweeted. "And that was the kind of humor that loosened up the clubhouse in 2010 for our charge at a World Series title. They loved it then, and it hasn't changed. That's not the issue. It's politics."
"I find this whole thing very hypocritical coming from a man who has his share of real controversy for pushing his wife for which he had to take a break from the Giants and issue an apology. All I did was Tweet."
Baer was suspended by the team last year after a physical confrontation with his wife was captured on cell phone video.
Huff said in his post that he got a call from Baer three weeks ago, telling him he was not invited to the 10-year reunion.
"He took me by surprise," the former Giants star said. "When he told me I was unanimously voted against attending the 2010 Giants World Series Championship reunion."
Buster Posey, one of the few remaining Giants who were on the roster who played with Huff, said his former teammate definitely had an impact on the San Francisco lockerroom.
"Things change, people change over the course of 10 years," he told reporters gathered around his roster in Arizona at Spring Training. "When Aubrey was here, he kept it (the clubhouse) pretty loose. He was definitely prone to being a jokester."
Huff placed seventh in National League MVP voting in 2010, putting up 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. His bat helped propel the Giants to their first World Series title in San Francisco.