Miami - The
Miami Marlins apologised on Monday for a taunting tweet referencing the
death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin after a Major League Baseball
loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays wrapped up a two-game sweep of the Marlins with a 7-2 victory on Sunday.
In a testy Twitter exchange between the clubs' accounts, the Marlins
account finally tweeted: "yOU'RE LITERALLY THE ANIMAL THAT KILLED STEVE
IRWIN LOG OFF."
Australia's Irwin, an iconic television celebrity and
conservationist, died on September 4, 2006 after he was stabbed in the
heart by a giant stingray while filming on the Great Barrier Reef in
Queensland.
"This was a regrettable exchange by our otherwise creative social
media team," the Marlins said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, in this
medium, sometimes we swing and miss, and this was definitely a miss."
In a separate tweet, the Marlins apologised once again, saying "Hi,
guys. Like everyone who grew up watching him, we miss Steve. We're so
sorry to have made light of his passing."