For the marketeers cranking out publicity for the San Francisco Giants’ farm team in San Jose, the tweet was a total strike-out.

Posted on Aug. 20 but now being circulated this week on social media, the tweet features an animated GIF of what appear to be three team members, presumably standing next to each other out on the diamond at San Jose’s Municipal Stadium, “celebrating Japanese heritage night!”

But for a team based in the middle of a region that practically invented political correctness, the GIF is about as politically tone-deaf as it could imagine: one player, sporting a traditional Japanese headband called a hachimaki, is caught in an endless loop of karate-style kicks; the guy on the right, wearing a Giants cap, is fanning himself; all three are wearing yukata-style bathrobes; and the middle player, wearing a rice-farmer’s kasa, is bowing with hands clasped together like Mickey Rooney’s controversial portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

https://twitter.com/SJGiants/status/899404323934806016

Not even close to funny, at least according to people who have weighed in so far on Twitter

The team’s rep was not immediately available for comment but the team tweeted out an apology Wednesday afternoon and removed the original tweet. It was an unfortunate capper for the team’s lousy 2017 season, which ended Monday night. The San Jose Giants finished the season with a 62-78 overall record, the worst since going 58-82 back in 2003. And it was also the first time in 14 years that the Giants ended the season with the worst overall record in the California League.

Fans, assuming that’s what they are, took to Twitter to express their anger and disgust over what many saw as a racially-tinged PR stunt:

did no one in the organization come to the conclusion that this this may not be a good idea? @angryasianman — Ben D. Ni (@JPzC) September 6, 2017

WTF.

Consider hiring a non-racist social media person — laila (@notlaila) September 6, 2017

are you serious with this? — roberta (@rwhyr) September 6, 2017

This was a terrible idea. Do better. — [Bochy noises] (@Chris_Sherwood) September 6, 2017

oh my god that's really really awful — R is for #RESIST 🐙 (@adnohr77) September 6, 2017

Delete this idiots — Viet Kieumonger (@kieumonger) September 6, 2017

Wtf is wrong with u guys? Take this down, it's incredibly offensive and racist — ks (@_lvmbs_) September 6, 2017

Uh yeah. That's gotta go. — (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ (@elainerichards) September 6, 2017

By early afternoon, the Giants’ front office tweeted an apology: “Unfortunately, our message on social media was tone deaf.”

“The San Jose Giants and their fans have enjoyed Japanese Heritage Night these past five years and apologize that our content released on social media did not represent the intention and spirit of the event,” the statement said.