A Toronto Blue Jays pitcher was in the headlines this week. And not for the reason you may think.
The Blue Jays were bounced from the playoffs after getting swept in the American League Wild Card by the Twins. But it wasn’t because of the pitching of veteran reliever Erik Swanson, who made two appearances vs. Minnesota, striking out two in 1.1 innings pitched.
Swanson has recently come under fire, but not for his performance in the playoffs. In fact, it has nothing to do with baseball at all. Swanson posted a photo over the weekend with his young son, which showed the two in front of a handful of dead geese that they shot during a recent hunting trip, according to Fox News.
Swanson received backlash after posting the photo over the weekend and has since been the subject of criticism. He took to social media to defend himself, responding to a Blog Toronto post with a thread of tweets.
I am an avid hunter/fisherman and I will always be. For the people who are asking me why I have my son with me, I am teaching him a very important life lesson… the beef, venison, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables all come from somewhere, not just the grocery store. https://t.co/siEF1PI7Bc
— Erik Swanson (@Erik_Swanson03) October 17, 2023
Also, for the people worried about me being over my limit. I was in a group with 7 legal hunters this day. The limit per person is 5 geese a day, in the state of Minnesota.
— Erik Swanson (@Erik_Swanson03) October 17, 2023
In his first season in Toronto and fifth in the Major Leagues, Swanson recorded a 2.97 ERA in 69 appearances. He was acquired in a trade with the Mariners that saw outfielder Teoscar Hernandez head to Seattle. He figures to be a key cog in the team’s bullpen moving forward, and while he isn’t the first Blue Jays’ reliever to ruffle some feathers, his added value is much higher than that of Anthony Bass.
[Fox News]
