Microphones used for the Bally Sports Florida broadcast picked up a fan allegedly using the N-word after Brinson, who is Black, had faced two pitches in his at-bat at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado.
Paul Severino, the Marlins’ play-by-play announcer immediately apologized for the slur, saying it had no place on the broadcast.
Clips of the fan appearing to shout the racial epithet have gone viral on Twitter and have racked up a combined 3 million views at the time of writing.
However, some social media users have put forth the possibility that the alleged culprit—who is yet to be identified—was perhaps simply trying to get the attention of Dinger, the dinosaur-like creature who is the Rockies’ mascot.
Grainy footage posted on Twitter appears to show a Rockies fan in the first row just behind home plate seemingly gesticulating towards the mascot during Brinson’s at-bat.
During the clip a word that sounds very much like the N-word can be heard in the background.
Some have suggested the fan in question was instead shouting “Dinger” and trying to get the mascot’s attention.
According to Yahoo! Sports, other fans could be heard earlier also saying “Dinger.”
The Rockies have launched an investigation into the incident, condemning the alleged racial slur and vowing to identify the fan.
“The Colorado Rockies are disgusted at the racial slur by a fan directed at the Marlins’ Lewis Brinson during the ninth inning of today’s game,” the team said in a statement released after the game.
“Although the subject was not identified prior to the end of the game, the Rockies are still investigating this incident.
“The Rockies have zero tolerance for any form of racism or discrimination, and any fan using derogatory language of any kind will be ejected and banned from Coors Field.”
Speaking to The Associated Press, Marlins spokesman Jason Latimer said “neither Lewis, nor any other Marlins on the field or in the dugout, heard what was shouted.”
However, once they were informed of the incident, the Marlins raised the issue with the Rockies.
“We brought the matter to the attention of the Rockies. How the matter is being handled, I would have to defer to them,” Latimer added.
Meanwhile, MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark said in a statement on Sunday night that MLB teams must “continue to work together to ensure that racism is never tolerated on or off the field.”
“While many are truly committed to respect and equality for all, the abhorrent racial animus displayed today highlights that there is still much work to be done,” he added.
