PORT ST. LUCIE — Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen is in hot water after using a racial slur in the team’s spring training clubhouse.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the 61-year-old Warthen approached Jeff Cutler, a Japanese-American who serves as Daisuke Matsuzaka’s interpreter, on Monday and said, “I’m sorry I called you a Chinaman.”
Cutler replied,“It’s OK,” according to the report.
“I didn’t mean to insinuate. … I know you’re not Chinese,” Warthen said. “I thought it was a pretty good joke, though.”
“It was,” Cutler said, with a small laugh.
Warthen then walked away.
Also present was a reporter of Chinese descent, who brought the matter to the attention of the team’s PR director, Jay Horwitz. Warthen was scheduled to meet with that reporter Wednesday morning, but didn’t show up.
On Wednesday night, Warthen released a statement that read: “I apologize for the thoughtless remarks that I made [Monday] in the clubhouse. They were a poor attempt at humor but were wrong and inappropriate in any setting and I am very sorry.”
General manager Sandy Alderson, in a statement, wrote: “On behalf of the entire organization, I apologize for the insensitive remarks made by one of our staff members. The remarks were offensive and inappropriate and the organization is very sorry.”
Warthen has been the Mets pitching coach since 2008 and spent part of four seasons pitching in the majors from 1975-78.