Former MLB outfielder turned Korean Baseball star won't wear mask during interviews

Former big league journeyman Aaron Altherr is making a name for himself in the Korean Baseball Organization, not just for his right-handed pop, but for refusing to wear a mask during his post-game interviews.

Altherr, who last played for the Mets in 2019, is treating mask-wearing like wearing the plague, and declined the life-saving preventative measure during his postgame interview on Thursday, as he has throughout the pandemic.

In the KBO, mask-wearing is required during pre and postgame interviews — even if you hit a massive three-run blast, like Altherr did to help the Dinos secure a 5-2 win in Game 1 of the Korean Series, the KBO’s championship round.

Altherr, who was born in Germany while his mother was stationed at a U.S. Air Force base abroad but grew up in Kansas City, Mo., and Phoenix, has said he has trouble breathing through a mask when speaking in front of crowds. Declining to comply with the rule means effectively opting out of postgame interviews, and Altherr was not allowed to speak to the press, despite winning the Game 1 MVP award.

After a career-best 19 home runs with the Phillies in 2017, Altherr played his way out of MLB, slashing .161/.265/.299 between three teams, including four hits in just 26 games with the Mets. The Dinos signed Altherr to an $800,000 contract after washing out of the States.

Whether Altherr is a devoted anti-masker or is looking for a cynical excuse out of media interviews, mask-wearing is a cornerstone to sound health policy during a viral pandemic, backed by national and international health agencies. Just like their respective countries, the KBO has taken a far more aggressive and successful approach — to contain the coronavirus than its American counterpart. Along with the required mask-wearing during pre and postgame interviews, the league imposed a mandatory three-week shutdown if any player or coach tests positive during the season.

Meanwhile, South Korea, a country with over 51 million people, has less than 29,000 cases and 494 total deaths nationwide since the pandemic began, just a fraction of the one million COVID-19 cases the US reported over the last week. Over 242,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus.

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