Braves’ coach Roger McDowell apologizes for ‘responding to heckling fans’

So apparently Braves’ pitching coach Roger McDowell is pleading guilty, with an explanation. Accused earlier this afternoon by a Fresno man and his family of slinging gay slurs at Giants’ fans at AT&T Park on Saturday, McDowell moments ago issued a statement through the team, apologizing for the incident. But in doing so, he indicated that he was responding to something that the fans had yelled at him or his players.

McDowell’s statement, via Zach Klein of WSB-TV, Atlanta:

“I am deeply sorry that I responded to the heckling fans in San Francisco on Saturday. I apologize to everyone for my actions.”

The Braves are also in the preliminary statement/we’re gathering the facts stage, and had this to say:

“We were made aware of an incident in San Francisco this past Saturday. We are concerned by these allegations and the behavior described by a witness today. This in no way represents the Braves organization and the conduct we expect of our employees. We will withhold further comments until we finish gathering information.”

McDowell’s outburst was revealed earlier this afternoon when trained attack attorney Gloria Allred, representing Giants’ fan Justin Quinn and his family, held a live-streaming press conference from her Los Angeles office. There she detailed the charges that McDowell hurled homophobic insults toward a group of Giants fans during batting practice on Saturday, told Quinn that “kids don’t belong at the f*****g park,” and made threats while holding a bat.

The press conference was held was the Braves were playing the Padres in San Diego.

UPDATE: Bud Selig checks in with a statement:

“I was informed today that Roger McDowell, a coach of the Atlanta Braves, is being accused of engaging in highly inappropriate conduct toward fans at a game in San Francisco. Although I do not yet have all the facts regarding this incident, the allegations are very troubling to me. The Atlanta Braves have assured my office that they will immediately investigate the allegations, and report the results of the investigation to me. After I have all the facts, I will make a determination of how to proceed.”

Meanwhile, commenter over at San Francisco Giants.com: “McDowell may have just landed himself a job moving pianos.”

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The MLB coach who’s getting called out by Gloria Allred for homophobic slurs is … Roger McDowell [Off the Bench]