In Final Game of World Series, an On-Field Apology

Houston's Yuli Gurriel tipped his hat to LA's Yu Darvish to say sorry for previous incident
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 2, 2017 8:55 AM CDT
In Final Game of World Series, an On-Field Apology
The Houston Astros' Yuli Gurriel tips his hat as he gestures to Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston came home with a World Series win Wednesday night in Game 7, but not before one Astro tried to make things right with one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitchers. Houston's Yuli Gurriel has been suspended for five games next season for making a racist gesture during Game 3 in reference to LA's Yu Darvish, who's Japanese. USA Today notes Gurriel "has been contrite" since the incident, and had wanted to apologize to Darvish. He made that gesture "in a uniquely baseball fashion" when he came up to bat to face Darvish: When Gurriel walked up to the batter's box, he took off his hat and tipped it toward Darvish as a conciliatory offering.

Just the night before, Dodger pitcher Rich Hill purposely stepped off the mound to allow the Game 6 crowd to keep booing Gurriel in what he called a "silent gesture" in support of Darvish, per Sports Illustrated. And not everyone seemed to accept Gurriel's mea culpa, with some saying his gesture wasn't enough, notes the Sacramento Bee. "No one cares about your 'I'm sorry I got caught on live TV' hat tip," one fan tweeted. Yahoo Sports notes that Darvish, who'd tweeted a message of positivity about the incident, "didn't appear to react in the moment." For his part, however, Gurriel appears to feel closure. "I feel spiritually happy," he said post-game, per USA Today. "I felt like I had to salute him because from the very beginning he acted like a gentleman." (More Yu Darvish stories.)

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