Why is Anthony Bass catching the ceremonial first pitch on Friday? Fans blast Blue Jays' PR move ahead of Pride Weekend

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday that pitcher Anthony Bass will be catching the ceremonial first pitch on Friday, ahead of their series opener against the Minnesota Twins.

The Blue Jays pitcher made headlines last week after he put up a social media post on May 29, which was anti-LGBTQ in sentiment. Though he publicly apologised since then, fans are calling out the decision to have him catch the ceremonial first pitch as a PR stunt by the Blue Jays organisation.

Following his post, he faced backlash from fans who booed him during his game on May 30 against the Milwaukee Brewers. In his controversial post, he encouraged people to boycott brands like Bud Light and Target for their support of the LGBTQ community. Since then he has been under fire and has issued a public apology in front of reporters.

Bass also met with Pride Toronto's executive director Sherwin Modeste to apologise and have a chat. Additionally, his general manager, Ross Atkins, has publicly supported him, expressing belief in the sincerity of Bass's apology and his remorse for his previous comments.

Anthony Bass and the Blue Jays need to focus on the Twins and not get distracted

With the Pride Week spirit in full force among the fans, the Toronto Blue Jays players will have to focus on their series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Anthony Bass has largely been used as a reliever and may well be called upon again. It is a crucial MLB game for the Blue Jays who are on fourth place in their division, and a win will see them catch the New York Yankees and move up a spot.