Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has no plans to censor his on-field attire following a warning from Major League Baseball.
After Duran ripped his first career walk-off hit on June 24 against the Toronto Blue Jays, he conducted a postgame interview on the field wearing an undershirt with the slogan "F*ck 'em" on the front. He received a warning letter from MLB shortly afterward because the shirt violates league policy about obscene language.
He'll face a fine if the offending shirt is displayed on the field again, but Duran insists he will continue wearing it during games.
"I'm still gonna wear it under my jersey every single time," the 27-year-old told MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "It means something to me. It's no disrespect. It's just something that means a lot to me, so I've got to represent it, even when I get in trouble for it."
Duran explained he adopted "F*ck 'em" as a mantra while dealing with mental health issues over the past few years and was even writing it on his wrist tape last season.
"It's basically saying the phrase to the mental demons that were trying to get me to not be here anymore," he said.
The "F*ck 'em" shirt has become popular with other Red Sox players and coaches, many of whom now wear them around the clubhouse. Duran's also selling the shirts to raise money for mental health charities.
Duran added he understands why MLB sent him the letter about wearing it on the field and quipped he'll "just take everything off" after his next walk-off hit to avoid any issues. That said, he's prepared to write whatever checks may be necessary to the league going forward.
"That would be a fine I'd be happy to pay," he said. "I wouldn't have a problem paying that fine because it's just me wearing something that means a lot to me."
The undershirt flap comes in the midst of a career season for Duran, who's hitting .283/.345/.486 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs, 21 steals, and a league-leading 10 triples through 86 games.
