Jonesboro, Ark. – It’s no surprise that Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, a soon-to-be-free agent, opposes gay marriage. He said as much in 2012, when he was asked by the Los Angeles Times about possibly having a homosexual teammate.
“For me, as a Christian … I will be uncomfortable because, in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it’s not right, ” he said then. “It will be difficult and uncomfortable.”
Hunter made his feelings on the matter further known in this election season, recording a radio spot for Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, who is facing Democrat Mike Ross.
Here’s the text, read by Hunter:
“This is Pine Bluff native and Major League Baseball player Torii Hunter. I’m asking you to vote for my friend Asa Hutchinson for governor. Dr. King said that men should be judged by the content of their character. Today, we too often prejudge political candidates by their party label. I’m asking you to consider Asa for his actions.
“As a lawyer, Asa fought for more majority African-American districts in the state’s legislature. Asa is committed to the principles we hold dear, like a strong faith in God, equal justice for all and keeping marriage between one man and one woman. Asa wants all children to have access to computer science, to expand charter schools and bring more jobs and small businesses into our communities. Asa won’t take your vote for granted. Let’s make real change in our community by casting party labels aside and voting our convictions. Vote Asa Hutchinson for governor. He’s someone we can count on.”
While African-Americans generally oppose gay marriage in higher numbers than other races do across the country, in Arkansas that’s not true. A 2013 poll found that 38% of Arkansans overall supported gay marriage, but 47% of African-American Arkansans did. The legality of gay marriage in Arkansas is currently in limbo, with a circuit court judge ruling Arkansas’s ban unconstitutional, but the state Supreme Court staying it.
In his end-of-the-season news conference Oct. 14, general manager Dave Dombrowski called Hunter one of the Tigers’ key free agents but did not commit to bringing him back.
“He’s done a lot of good things for us and he’s a superb person, but we haven’t made that final decision,” he said.
Hunter hit .286 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs while largely filling the No. 2 spot in the Tigers’ lineup for a second straight season.
While Hunter’s beliefs aren’t surprising, the fact that he aired them again is.
In 2012, after he was criticized for his views, he told the Detroit News he would keep his opinions to himself in the future.
“I will never talk about politics, race or anything like that ever again with nobody,” Hunter told the newspaper. “That’s not part of baseball, so I’m not going to talk about it. That’s crazy.”
