Former Blue Jays third baseman Kelly Gruber made a bit of an arse of himself on Thursday during a wincingly awkward onstage bumble at the Rec Room that had the Texan-native uninvited from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame festivities this weekend. 

What was expected to be a harmless chat about baseball at the Homestand Sports charity event turned into pure embarrassment when the 56 year-old ascended the stage and began making a series of inappropriate comments.  

The Boys are back in town!! #pitchtalks #bluejays 📸 @noah2988

A post shared by PitchTalks (@pitchtalks) on Jun 14, 2018 at 5:18pm PDT

Appearing to be inebriated according to one of the organizers, Gruber started off the conversation by grilling host Ashley Docking in a weird, sexual-innuendo-filled exchange, then proceeded to dismiss her by asking the crowd, "We don't really need this girl here, right?" 

Kelly Gruber doing his best to be a dick and get rid of a whole generation of baseball fans who thought he was awesome in less than 2 minutes. #BlueJays #MLB pic.twitter.com/lsBN7dXwB2

— Kris Kushnerick (@kriskush1) June 16, 2018

Aside from exhibiting generally dumb behaviour, he also went on to ask Rogers Sportsnet broadcast Kevin Barker if he was replacing Gregg Zaun, the baseball analyst who was fired last year for being inappropriate in the workplace with female Sportsnet staff.

"You gotta work on your wardrobe because it's big shoes to fill," Gruber told Barker. 

I have questions for Kelly Gruber

— Toronto Mike (@torontomike) June 16, 2018

At one point Gruber attempted to play off his drunkeness by saying in true Southern fashion, "We're from Texas...we play, we have fun." 

Docking did her best to play off the comments while Barker's discomfort was clearly palpable. The proceedings were cut short, and Gruber was escorted out of the building shortly afterward.

Gruber was uninvited from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame weekend fun, including today's ceremony in St. Mary's where players Pedro Martiniz, Lloyd Moseby, and baseball historian William Humber were inducted into the hall. 

My statement regarding Kelly Gruber’s behaviour at last night’s @PitchTalks event. Proud to call @SmrtAsh my friend and colleague. pic.twitter.com/2MthcHanKw

— Kevin Kennedy (@LocalAgitator) June 15, 2018

Not only that, he's been barred from any future Pitch Talk events, according to a Twitter statement released by Homestand Sports founder Kevin Kennedy.

Kennedy also revelead that Gruber had allegedly made "inappropriate comments" to a female staff member at the Rec Room.

"Not only was Kelly Gruber's behaviour inappropriate, it defies the spirit of this special night as well as the entire weekend of slated programming for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame." 

It sucks that things like this still happen. However, I'm happy that we've reached a point where I have a platform to call out misbehaviour when needed and am supported by an industry that has stood beside me with so much integrity today. Thank you. https://t.co/M1bsHmSOws

— Ashley Docking (@SmrtAsh) June 15, 2018

Docking went on Sportsnet's Good Show yesterday to talk about the event, calling the encounter "super frustrating." In the exchange, host JD Bunkis explains that Gruber  is "not the brightest bulb" – ouch. 

I have heard things about him. Just hoped they weren’t true. Sorry you had to deal with crap like that

— James (@LeafsFan1993) June 15, 2018

In April, Gruber was arrested for Driving Under the Influence in Texas. 

This latest incident seems to indicate K. Groobs has fallen off since the time he helped the Jays win the World Series in 1992. Anyone born after that year probably had no idea who he was before Thursday's flop, and now we sort of wish we didn't.