Major League Baseball is looking into a since-deleted tweet by longtime umpire Rob Drake, commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday.
Drake tweeted late Tuesday that he planned to buy an AR-15 rifle "because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020," according to a copy of the tweet obtained by ESPN.
The tweet, which was deleted soon after it was posted, followed one earlier in the night regarding the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings with President Donald Trump.
The other tweet read: "You can't do an impeachment inquiry from the basement of Capital Hill without even a vote! What is going on in this country?"
Drake deactivated his account Wednesday. He did not return phone and text messages.
In a statement Wednesday night, the Major League Baseball Umpires Association said Drake chose the "wrong way" to express himself while showing support for all umpires.
"Rob is a passionate individual and an outstanding umpire. He chose the wrong way to convey his opinion about our great country," the umpires' association said. "His posting does not represent the view of the MLBUA or reflect those of the umpires we represent.
"The MLBUA supports all of the umpires who ensure fair play in the greatest game on earth. We are a group of individuals with diverse opinions and beliefs, united in our desire to continue our excellence officiating MLB games."
Drake, 50, made his major league debut in 1999 and has been a full-time major league umpire since 2010. He worked postseason games in 2010 and 2012 through '15, and was on the crew at the All-Star Game in 2013.
Born in Pennsylvania, Drake now lives in Arizona.
