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Red Sox apologize to Orioles’ Adam Jones for fans’ racist behavior
‘I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. Thanks. Pretty awesome,’ Jones said.
The Boston Red Sox on Tuesday issued an apology to Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones after fans hurled racist remarks and threw a bag of peanuts at him during Monday night’s game at Fenway Park.
“The Red Sox want to publicly apologize to Adam Jones and the entire Orioles organization for what occurred at Fenway Park Monday night. No player should have an object thrown at him on the playing field, nor be subjected to any kind of racism at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have zero tolerance for such inexcusable behavior, and our entire organization and our fans are sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few. Such conduct should be reported immediately to Red Sox security, and any spectator behaving in this manner forfeits his/her right to remain in the ballpark, and may be subject to further action. Our review of last night’s events is ongoing.”
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker also condemned the behavior in a statement and a tweet, respectively.
“This is unacceptable and not who we are as a city,’’ Walsh said. “These words and actions have no place in Fenway, Boston, or anywhere. We are better than this.’’
Fenway fans behavior at the #RedSox game last night was unacceptable & shameful. This is not what Massachusetts & Boston are about.
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) May 2, 2017
Jones told USA Today Sports it was one of the worst experiences he’s had in his 12-year career.
“A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me,’’ Jones told USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale, “I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. Thanks. Pretty awesome.’’
“It’s different,’’ Jones told USA Today Sports. “Very unfortunate. I heard there was 59 or 60 ejections tonight in the ballpark. It is what it is, right. I just go out and play baseball. It’s unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being. I’m trying to make a living for myself and for my family.
“It’s unfortunate. The best thing about myself is that I continue to move on, and still play the game hard. Let people be who they are. Let them show their true colors.’’
The Red Sox confirmed that a fan threw a bag of peanuts at Jones and was ejected from the ballpark.
“It’s pathetic,’’ he told USA Today Sports. “It’s called a coward. What they need to do is that instead of kicking them out of the stadium, they need to fine them 10 grand, 20 grand, 30 grand. Something that really hurts somebody. Make them pay in full. And if they don’t, take it out of their check.
“That’s how you hurt somebody. You suspend them from the stadium, what does that mean? It’s a slap on the wrist. That guy needs to be confronted, and he needs to pay for what he’s done.
“At the end of the day, when you throw an object onto the field of play, the player has no idea what it is. What if something hit me right in the eye and I can’t play baseball anymore. Then what? I just wear it? No.
“Things like that need to be handled a little more properly, in my opinion.’’