Good news, Josh Thole! You finally have a nick name, Twitter Qwitter!!!
I’m guessing you were probably hoping for something more exciting, but you have to admit, it is better than “Black Thole” (as in offense disappears into a vortex when he is at the plate). Or are these nicknames too “negative” for you?
For those who missed it (and who could possibly miss a news update pertaining to how a light-hitting catcher uses social media?), Mr. Thole abruptly deleted his Twitter account yesterday because he was having a “negative experience.” Essentially, Thole didn’t appreciate all the cyber-bullying he was subjected to. Don’t worry, Josh, well placed sources inform me that “it gets better.” But rather than just use the handy, dandy block button like the rest of us Twitterers, Thole opted to slam the eject button instead.
You’re not going to believe this, but it didn’t really help.
I for one am shocked that a bunch of New Yorkers (presumably) semi-anonymously harassed their starting catcher with an .577 OPS (as they say on Twitter, #sarcasm).
In all seriousness, the reason why this is a story at all is because, as far as I can remember, this is the first time in the Twitter-era that a pro athlete has just up and bailed out because his feelings were hurt. Sure, some guys have gotten some eggs on their face because they tweeted something stupid/offensive, but none of them have ever taken their digital ball and gone home.
As much as I am ribbing Thole, this really is a shame. The opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite (or in Thole’s case, anti-favorite) players in such fashion is truly amazing. Never before have we had so much access with so much ease. And it isn’t just the fans that like it, the players genuinely do as well, especially those who have been able to filter out all the nutjobs and jerks from their follower list. There has even been a rash of MLB players flocking to the social media this year as it continues to grow in popularity.
That could change now though. Thole is probably more the exception than the rule, but he is also a cautionary tale. Twitter isn’t just restricted to letting players find people praising them, thus stroking their egos. It is also a great way for them to pre-arrange road tail, errrr, I mean it is also an outlet for a lot of frustrated fans who choose to tweet their displeasure just as much, if not more, than they do their adulations. To put it bluntly, social media isn’t for the feint of heart.
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some more lesser-known players begin to make a mini-exodus from Twitter now that Thole has blazed the shameful path. I really hope that isn’t the case, but I’m guessing the MLB-loving Twitter crowd isn’t about to ease up on all of their criticisms just to accomodate the thin-skinned MLBers.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go tweet crass statements about Jeff Mathis’ mother.
