Fans at Fenway Park last night stood and cheered during Orioles CF Adam Jones' first-inning at bat, signaling a "loud and certain rebuke" after actions during Monday night's game had the city of Boston "again examining its turbulent racial history," according to a front-page piece by Peter Abraham of the BOSTON GLOBE. Jones prior to last night's game "received an apology from the Red Sox after saying he was subjected to racial slurs" from fans on Monday. Red Sox President Sam Kennedy called the behavior towards Jones "despicable" and said, "There’s no place for it." Kennedy and Red Sox Owner John Henry "met with Jones and Orioles manager Buck Showalter about four hours" before yesterday’s game and "expressed their regret." Kennedy: "Adam was great. ... He said it’s hard to deal with this as a player but he understands that sometimes it goes with the territory. John Henry was quick to say, ‘No, it shouldn’t go with the territory. It’s not OK. You should speak out.’ John told him he was glad that he did.” Abraham reports Jones' meeting with the Red Sox brass came only a "few minutes after several Red Sox players told team officials that they, too, have encountered similar treatment at Fenway." Kennedy: "We have to acknowledge that these things happen. That’s how we can deal with them" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3). Jones said of the standing ovation last night, "Much appreciated. It was also much appreciated by the Boston Red Sox and MLB getting ahead of it." Showalter said he thought the reception "was great." ESPN.com's Scott Lauber noted Henry and Kennedy told Jones they are "taking steps to prevent Monday's incident from happening again" (ESPN.com, 5/3). In Baltimore, Jon Meoli in a front-page piece notes Jones last night during the ovation "stepped out of the batter’s box to soak it all in, as if a day of uncomfortable race conversations had finally produced some good" (Baltimore SUN, 5/3). Jones after last night's game said, "I don’t want no love and support. I don’t need all that stuff. Just be normal" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/3).
FANS STEP UP: NESN’s Tom Caron called the crowd reaction to Jones "outstanding" and said, "That ovation was a sign to Adam Jones that nobody condones what happened” (“Extra Innings Live,” NESN, 5/2). NBC's Matt Lauer said the ovation was a "nice gesture on the part of the Fenway fans" to "understand that moment and make sure they sent along a loud message" ("Today" NBC, 5/3). ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said the city of Boston "did its part by applauding" ("GMA," ABC, 5/3). FS1's Eric Karros: "That's class right there, more representative of the Boston fans" ("MLB Whiparound," FS1, 5/2). In Baltimore, Shaffer & Meoli note "some fans stood and applauded" for Jones while "others sat and applauded." Others "just sat" (Baltimore SUN, 5/3). USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale notes Red Sox players led by RF Mookie Betts and P David Price "campaigned throughout the day for the crowd to cheer for Jones, standing up for racism." Jones appeared "visibly moved by the gesture." He said, "It’s pretty awesome. These kinds of things are bigger than the game. This is a game. This isn’t life and death. There’s bigger issues in the world than a baseball game.’’ Nightengale notes now the "healing process begins" across MLB, with team management "talking to their own players, hearing their concerns, and re-visiting" ballpark policies. It was "only one night, but already, Jones noticed a calmer atmosphere." He said, "You heard some things, but people knew there was some extra help out there too" (USA TODAY, 5/3).
CROWD CONTROL: Kennedy said that the Red Sox "increased uniformed and non-uniformed police and security members around the Orioles dugout, the third-base line and the outfield" for last night's game (BOSTONHERALD.com, 5/2). Kennedy said that on Monday night there was a "high number of ejections, and that a typical game averages about 12-15." One fan Monday was ejected after throwing a bag of peanuts at Jones, and Kennedy said there "were 34 total ejections: 20 of them were related to alcohol-related incidents, two for marijuana ... one was profane language directed at a player" and "there was fan on fan fighting with several folks jumping over seats" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3). The BOSTON HERALD's Bill Speros notes when Kennedy offered the team's "official reaction" to the incident, he "was angry." Speros: "It wasn’t so much what he said, including a team apology, it was how he said it" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/3). In N.Y., David Waldstein writes Boston last night "alternated between anger and apology" (N..Y. TIMES, 5/3).
QUICK RESPONSE: CBS' Jeff Glor notes "condemnation came quick" from the Red Sox and MLB yesterday about Monday's incident ("CBS This Morning," 5/3). MLB Net's Jim Thome noted the Red Sox "stepped up and they sent a message to baseball that we don't condone this and we're going to move forward" ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 5/2). In Boston, Steve Buckley writes, "Good for the Red Sox. They acted quickly, they acted decisively, they acted with sincerity." Buckley: "What we can do is listen. And calling Adam Jones a liar isn’t listening. It’s enabling. So listen to the man, please, and keep the discussion going" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/3). The Baltimore SUN's Meoli notes Jones' acknowledgment of the incident "set off swift reaction and support" from the Red Sox, the city of Boston and MLB, showing "just how significant his voice has become in a sport that’s low on African-American representation and in a nation where racial tensions simmer hotter by the day." Jones is a "strong vehicle for the change he hopes to see," as he has "often spoken out about how underrepresented African-Americans are in baseball." This series with the Red Sox "turned into such a cauldron, with tensions on the field between the two heated rivals drawing plenty of national media attention." Jones "found a venue he said felt right to him" (Baltimore SUN, 5/3).
NOT SO CLEAR HISTORY: The AP's Errin Haines Whack writes under the header, "Boston Sports Struggle With Perception Built On Racist Past" (AP, 5/3). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial runs under the header, "Racist Heckling At Fenway Pulls Boston Into The Ugly Past" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3). ESPN's Howard Bryant said racial incidents "seem to happen quite often" at Fenway Park, including Price being heckled by hometown fans last year. Bryant: "It's something that stays with Boston, and when it happens in Boston, it's always going to be magnified" ("OTL," ESPN, 5/2). In Boston, Nestor Ramos writes whether is it "fair or not, the reputation of Red Sox fans surely sank" after Monday's incident. For a team that "goes out of its way to welcome kids to the park, such boorish behavior hardly projects a family-friendly image" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3). Also in Boston, Adrian Walker in a front-page piece writes, "Charges that playing in Boston is exceptionally difficult for players of color have been made for decades, and they are true." Some Red Sox "spoke up yesterday to say they too have been the butt of ugly epithets from fans" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3).
TALK AMONG THE PLAYERS: Rays 1B Rickie Weeks said hearing racial slurs "happens to you a lot more than people think." Rays P Chris Archer said, "It's one of those things that exists. It's sad, but it's not surprising. It should not happen, and it happens" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/3). Yankees P CC Sabathia: "When you go to Boston, expect it" (AP, 5/2). Red Sox P Rick Porcello: "You see this a lot, unfortunately. Teammates that are African-American and of other cultures and ethnicities, they deal with it frequently and they do a really good job and are extremely strong for it, but can’t say it’s shocking. I can say it’s extremely upsetting. There’s just absolutely no place for it” (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/3). Rangers LF Delino DeShields Jr. said he "wasn't really surprised" by Jones' incident. DeShields: "A lot of things get said and players aren't as vocal as Adam. I'm glad he did speak up. I'm glad the Red Sox spoke up. And I'm glad their players spoke up" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/3). Marlins 2B Dee Gordon: "There’s more of that stuff than you would think." Marlins RF Ichiro Suzuki: "It happens a lot. But players don’t say anything. If everybody came out and said what was said from the stands, there would be an uproar" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/3). Nationals manager Dusty Baker: “It doesn’t really surprise me too much because I’ve been called that word in almost every city that I’ve played in. ... It’s more apparent in some places than other places" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/3). Tigers LF Justin Upton said when people "say things" in the outfield, "there's nobody really out there monitoring it" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/3). ESPN's Jessica Mendoza said, "I appreciate the fact other players are now speaking out, because that wasn't happening before" ("GMA," ABC, 5/3).
