There are a lot of words you could use to describe baseball rock star Mo’ne Davis: Champ, cover girl and role model are among them.
But when news broke that the 13-year-old Little League pitcher would get her very own Disney Channel movie, Bloomsburg University baseball player Joey Casselberry had a much different take.
He posted a message on Twitter that has since been deleted but read, “Disney is making a movie about Mo’Ne Davis ? WHAT A JOKE. That slut got rocked by Nevada.”
Mo’ne and her Little League team lost to Nevada in last year’s Little League World Series.
Following the ill-advised tweet calling a child a “slut,” Bloomsburg University immediately kicked Casselberry off the school’s baseball team, saying they were “deeply saddened” by the situation.
The message has been sent to collegiate athletes everywhere: Be very careful what you say on social media. But the more important question is why would this college kid even think to use the word “slut” in relation to a 13-year-old girl who became famous for her Little League pitching? Would he have said something like this about a white girl?
Nicki Mayo posted this on Twitter, and it really gets to the heart of the matter. This is something that happens to young black girls all the time.
Bloomberg University student athlete Joey Casselberry's twitter account calls Mo 'ne Davis a slut. URGH! #JesusFixItpic.twitter.com/b6t3HnPPmG
— Nicki Mayo (@nickimayonews) March 22, 2015
Now, many will make the case the Casselberry’s tweet, while stupid and inappropriate, certainly wasn’t intended as anything more than a crass comment. But you have to wonder why a young man would be so comfortable using the word “slut” about a 13-year-old girl he’s never met.
For her part, Mo’ne will continue to inspire, work on her pitching, write her memoir and prepare to light up Hollywood the way she does batters every time she steps on the pitcher’s mound. This little girl is bigger than this silly incident. On her continued rise to fame and glory, this little girl will be stepping over the likes of Casselberry for the rest of her career.
Bravo to Bloomberg University for taking quick action to shut Casselberry down and send a message to college athletes everywhere that trash-talking about children on Twitter won’t be tolerated.
More about Mo’ne Davis
Mo’ne Davis throws #LikeAGirl at 70 MPH in new inspirational commercial (VIDEO)
Mo’ne Davis makes everyone wish they could throw like a girl
13-Year-old girl with a 70-mph fastball advances team to Little League World Series
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