OAKLAND, CA - JULY 21: Oakland A’s television play-by-play announcer Glen Kuiper, left and field analyst Dallas Braden discuss the game before their second MLB game of a double header against the Detroit Tigers at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, July 21, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Longtime Oakland A’s television announcer Glen Kuiper apologized on the air after he appeared to utter a racial epithet during the pregame show before Friday night’s game in Kansas City.
While talking about how he and broadcast partner Dallas Braden visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City earlier in the day, instead of saying “Negro Leagues,” Kuiper seemed to say the n-word.
So Glen Kuiper and the A's broadcast just pulled a Thom Brennaman. Why isn't exactly confirmed but something definitely had to happen here. pic.twitter.com/LBis8yAnyx
— NickMan (@BrokenNickMan16) May 6, 2023
Before the sixth inning, the clearly flustered Kuiper issued an apology, telling NBC Sports California viewers, “I just want to … a little bit earlier in the show, I said something, didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to.
“And I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said. And like I said, I just wanted to apologize for that.”
The A’s later Friday night denounced Kuiper’s use of the n-word — regardless of intent — while issuing a statement via their public relations Twitter account:
“The language used by Glen Kuiper during today’s pregame broadcast is unacceptable. The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation.”
The language used by Glen Kuiper during today’s pregame broadcast is unacceptable. The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation.
— Oakland A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) May 6, 2023
Kuiper, the younger brother of Giants broadcaster and former player Duane Kuiper, has been announcing A’s games on television for 18 years.
Originally published at Jon Becker