The veteran right-hander wasn’t greeted with total support on Twitter, as many sided with the crew in this alleged midair dispute.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass lashed out at United Airlines, claiming a flight attendant forced his pregnant wife to clean up a midair mess left by their toddler daughter.
The Twitter-fueled dust up started on Sunday with the first of several tweets by Bass, complaining that his 22-week pregnant wife was made to “get on her hands and knees to pick up the popcorn mess left by my youngest daughter.”
Bass is married to Sydney Rae James, the sister of country singer Jessie James Decker.
But if Bass was seeking online sympathy, then he misread the virtual room as the defensive pitcher squared off with netizens who didn’t take his side of the alleged dispute.
In the face of this Twitter backlash, Bass insisted he and his family are in the right and even hinted that their complaints have prompted United to take action against the flight attendant.
He did an online bat flip by posting a picture of his daughter with a bag of popcorn.
That same picture was posted on his wife’s Instagram feed on Monday, drawing a humorous response from Decker, the child’s aunt, who wrote: “The popcorn hazard.”
Representatives for United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
Florida-based etiquette consultant and former flight attendant Jacqueline Whitmore said it’d be “unprofessional” for in-flight crew to ask a passenger to clean up his or her own mess.
“We don’t know the flight attendant’s side, all we know is what Anthony Bass tweeted … but the fact that this flight attendant might have said, ‘Get on your hands and knees and clean that up’ is not only unprofessional, but it’s unbelievable,” said Whitmore, who was a Northwest Airlines flight attendant in the 1990s.
Whitmore, who founded The Protocol School of Palm Beach which consults on issues of corporate etiquette, still urged travelers to be considerate and mindful of the plane’s condition when they leave the jet.
“It is the responsibility of every passenger, regardless of age, to pack their manners and clean up after themselves,” she said.
The 35-year-old journeyman relief pitcher Bass has spent time with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros and is now on his second tour of duty in Toronto.
He’s off to a difficult start so far in this young season, surrendering 11 hits and six earned runs in just 7 1/3 innings.
Bass’ wife did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment on Tuesday.