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Two weeks after posting on his personal Twitter account that he expected N.Y. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano to be accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, a Charlotte television reporter has apologized.
Dan Tordjman, who joined WSOC (Channel 9) a year ago from a Norfolk, Va., station, touched off a digital firestorm on Sept. 20 when he tweeted: “Can’t confirm this but I’m hearing that Robinson #Cano tested positive for PEDs. Announcement from #MLB coming shortly.”
When no announcement from Major League Baseball came and with the Yankees in a drive for the playoffs, Tordjman’s Twitter account was filled with challenges from New York fans. Tordjman finally tweeted, “Take a deep breath folks. I stated I ‘could not confirm’ the #Cano PED report. Just a rumor. Stay tuned.”
And later: “Good God. Everyone calm down. Don’t know how clearly I can state it - I HAVE NO CONFIRMATION THAT CANO PED RUMOR IS TRUE.” Then his Twitter account was shut off.
On Thursday, Tordjman reactivated his account to apologize to Cano and the Yankees. “I shouldn’t have posted false info about #Cano, and afterward, I should’ve admitted it was false and apologized right away. I am very sorry,” he said.
Channel 9 also carried an apology on its 6 p.m. newscast read by anchor Scott Wickersham. “This information was incorrect,” he said. “While WSOC was not involved in posting the tweet, the station wishes to apologize to Mr. Cano and any Yankee baseball fan for any embarrassment or inconvenience that the tweet may have caused.”
Joseph Pomilla, WSOC’s general manager, said Friday that the station wanted to make it clear that Tordjman’s remarks were not connected with his duties at the station. “He did this on his own and it had nothing to do with the station whatsoever. We knew that viewers might make the association.”
Tordjman could not be reached on Friday.
After the original tweet, eight viewers sent e-mails to WSOC complaining about Tordjman’s remarks, according to the station’s FCC public inspection file.
Tordjman has not been on the air since Sept. 20 and Pomilla said he could not say when he might return. “We haven’t talked about that yet,” he said.
