Ex-MLB player apologizes for Twitter rant bashing airport protesters

Any public figure with a decent number of Twitter followers should take note — what goes around comes around.

Former San Francisco Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff learned that the hard way when he bashed the thousands who protested Donald Trump's Muslim ban over the weekend.

He apologized Monday, saying there wasn't a lot of thought behind his tweets.

“I think in the case of last night, I used words that, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have." Huff said Monday, per the Mercury News. "Honestly, with 10,000 followers, I didn’t think it would be that big a deal.”

Huff, who won two World Series rings with the Giants, went on a Twitter rant Sunday night, criticizing protesters and continuously responding to those who refuted him. Huff has since deleted his tweets, but here's the one that started it all, courtesy of the Mercury News.

"I mean seriously what the hell is going on?" Huff said on his Twitter account. "If you have time 2 march, protest and riot. Maybe it's time for something called a job!"

Twitter users immediately fired back, ripping Huff for his status as a rich, white male.

The World Series champion earned $22 million over his last two years in San Francisco and made his support for Trump known during his spree on Twitter. When the criticism grew louder, Huff ignited the back-and-forth Twitter firestorm, bragging about his house, wife and World Series rings.

Here are his responses (since deleted) to the many tweets that targeted Huff's millionaire status.

"@ToddCooper26 come on man seriously there are plenty of white people struggling out there. Why does this have to be about race? U a racist?"

"@MariaLiaCalvo I am in my massage chair and it feels great!"

"@MargheimRon correction. I used to be overpaid. Now I'm just chillin not having to deal with rush hour traffic."

On Monday, he apologized.

“I just got kind of triggered by a troll and I decided to just hop on Twitter and start firing with pure rage and anger, man,” Huff told The Mercury News.

“I don’t apologize for my political views, but I do apologize for rubbing this fancy little life in people’s faces — making millions of dollars, retired, not having to sit in rush-hour traffic,” he said. “That was childish. I’m sorry.”

Huff joins ESPN personality Sage Steele as popular sports figures who were met with criticism over their comments on protests. And while 10,000 followers might not seem significant, as Huff said, it just goes to show that it's always a good idea to #NeverTweet.

[H/T The Mercury News]