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Brewers’ Josh Hader apologizes after old tweets surface during All-Star game: ‘There is no excuse for what was said’

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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader apologized late Tuesday for tweets with racist and homophobic content he posted seven years ago that surfaced as he played in the All-Star game.

“I was young, immature and stupid,” said Hader, 24. “There’s no excuses.”

Dan Halem, chief legal officer for Major League Baseball, said the league would consider whether to issue a statement Wednesday. Hader said he planned to address teammates when the Brewers return for the second half —starting Friday against the Dodgers — and said he would be ready for possible discipline.

“I’m ready for any consequences for what happened seven years ago,” he said.

As word of the tweets spread throughout Nationals Park and across social media, members of Hader’s family stood in the hallway outside the National League clubhouse. Family members removed jerseys with the Hader name or turned them inside out.

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Hader said he learned of the situation when he came out of the game — he faced five batters, giving up four hits and three runs — returned to the clubhouse and checked his phone to discover a blizzard of messages alerting him to the old tweets.

“There is no excuse for what was said,” Hader said. “I am deeply sorry for what I have said and what was going on. It doesn’t reflect any of my beliefs going on now.”

He was asked what had changed in his beliefs between then and now.

“Nothing,” he said, adding that some of the tweets might have reflected rap lyrics.

“I was in high school,” he said. “We’re still learning who we are in high school. You live and you learn. This mistake won’t happen again.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin

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