It was just last week that Mets catcher Josh Thole was getting some love for teaching his deaf dog sign language. I guess the positive press couldn’t last for very long. The 24-year-old has been struggling at the dish, hitting just .239 on the season with only four extra base hits. The fans haven’t been treating him too kindly and the criticism drove him to close his twitter account.
“I thought this was supposed to be fun,” Thole said about being on twitter. “[The fans are] ruthless on there.”
According to The Star-Ledger, “the comments ranged from name-calling to the unsolicited delivery of hitting advice, Thole explained. One person noted that pitchers were pounding Thole inside, so he needed to pull the ball. Most offered colorful displeasure with Thole’s slow start this season.”
The one fan who had some scouting advice actually seems like they were trying to give some positive feedback. Everyone else? Jerks. There are some positives about being on twitter — the ability to interact with fans and disseminate messages — but this is the downside. You have to have a high tolerance for criticism to be a pro athlete and this is only further proof. Being on twitter is optional, and if you don’t have to expose yourself to more hate mail why do it? There’s a reason why many athletes haven’t “taken the plunge” and why Thole’s not the only athlete driven to shut down his account recently.
