Former All-Star Bret Boone apologizes for comments on harassment

Former Seattle Mariners second baseman Bret Boone apologized in a statement on social media following an exchange with a reporter in which he made light of sexual harassment.

"All, there are zero excuses for what I said earlier. None. It was 100 percent wrong," Boone posted on Twitter Wednesday. "It was offensive. It was inappropriate. It was not remotely productive to any conversation regarding harassment. I apologize and it will never happen again."

Earlier on Wednesday, Boone sent Seattlepi.com reporter Stephen Cohen a direct message after the latter wrote about his disappointment in the allegations against radio host Garrison Keillor. Cohen shared the screenshots of their conversation on Twitter.

Boone wrote that he got sexually harassed "twice today," when "the Starbucks girl" smiled at him and when a woman at a drug store flirted with him. The 48-year-old then joked that he was getting a lawyer and that the behavior was unacceptable.

After Cohen responded by asking why Boone was making light of the topic, Boone wrote that it was a joke. He then said he was tired of people being offended and that the reporter should go back to his politically correct world.

Boone was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner during his 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and Mariners.