Miami Marlins apologize for tweet about Steve Irwin directed at Tampa Bay Rays

The Miami Marlins have apologized for a tweet sent to the Tampa Bay Rays during a back-and-forth exchange on the social media site Sunday.

The Marlins' and Rays' Twitter feeds were throwing playful jabs at each other following the Rays' two-game sweep of Miami, when the Marlins' Twitter replied, "YOU'RE LITERALLY THE ANIMAL THAT KILLED STEVE IRWIN LOG OFF," referring to the late "Crocodile Hunter" who was killed by a stingray in a 2006 accident.

As of Monday afternoon, the tweet has been retweeted nearly 10,000 times and has received over 40,000 Likes. Some Twitter users called the tweet insensitive, while others enjoyed the intended humor.

But on Monday, the Marlins tweeted an apology: "Hi, guys. Like everyone who grew up watching him, we miss Steve. We’re so sorry to have made light of his passing."