New Mets Pitcher Paul Blackburn Has A Nickname That’s Traditionally A Racial Slur

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With the team in the thick of a Wild Card race, the New York Mets front office were buyers are the trade deadline, acquiring a handful of players as the team looks to make a playoff push.

One of those players is Paul Blackburn, a starting pitcher who was previously with the Oakland A’s. In addition to Blackburn, the Mets also traded for right-handed relievers Huascar Brazoban and Tyler Zuber from the Marlins and Rays, respectively, to bolter their bullpen.

Blackburn, however, is the one getting the initial attention, as he’s not only set to start for the Mets against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, August 2 but it’s also been discovered that he’s got a questionable nickname, to say the least.

Given that the Oakland A’s and New York Mets sit on the opposite ends of the market-size and therefore attention-paid spectrum, Blackburn’s nickname is perhaps just being noticed by most baseball fans now. On Major League Baseball’s official website, Blackburn’s nickname is listed as “Blackie.”

Granted,  while his last name is Blackburn, the Merrimam-Webster dictionary defines “Blackie” as a “usually offensive” term that means “a person belonging to a darkly pigmented race.”

“To the Mets organization and fans! I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my career. Having the opportunity to be a part of something special and contribute in a pennant race is what every player dreams of. I look forward to meeting and getting to know everyone in Queens!” Blackburn said on Instagram ahead of his first start for the organization.

This season, the 30-year-old Blackburn has posted a record of 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 51 innings pitched.

As of the beginning of August, the Mets are a half-game out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. It’s a tight race, however, as the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks are all separated by just 1.5 games.