A fan ejected from Tuesday's Orioles-Red Sox game will be "banned from Fenway Park for life after using a racial slur in a conversation with another fan," according to the BOSTON HERALD. Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said, "It’s disheartening. Saddening. Maddening. That said, we have to recognize that this exists in our culture. It exists in Boston and it exists in other cities around the world" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/4). Kennedy: "I'm here to send a message, loud and clear, that the treatment of others that you've heard about and read about is not acceptable." ESPN.com reports Calvin Hennick, a Boston resident bringing his son to his first Red Sox game as a present for his sixth birthday, confirmed that a neighboring fan "used a variant of the N-word when referring to the national anthem singer." Surprised, Hennick "asked him to repeat it, and the other fan did." Hennick "summoned security and they ejected the other fan." Hennick said that the man "denied to security using a racial slur." Ushers at the gates will be "notified that the fan is not to be admitted." However, Kennedy "acknowledged it will be hard to enforce the ban at Fenway, given all the entrances, but he said security will do the best it can" (ESPN.com, 5/4).
STEPPING UP: Team officials said that the lifetime ban "appears to be highly unusual, if not unprecedented." Red Sox Senior Dir of Corporate Communications Zineb Curran said that Kennedy called Hennick to "apologize for what happened." In Boston, Kay Lazar in a front-page piece reports the middle-aged white man "disavowed using the slur," but the Red Sox "still decided to take action." A MLB spokesperson said that the league is "reviewing its security protocols" in all 30 ballparks after the incident involving Orioles CF Adam Jones, to "see how teams handle reports of slurs and other offensive behavior" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/4).
WHAT TO DO: ESPN’s Pedro Gomez said “step one” to eliminating fans who are using inappropriate language is other fans “pointing them out.” Gomez: “You can't have one security guard for every one fan in the stadium. ... At some point you've got to have fans being willing to stand up and say, ‘You know what, this is the guy that just said something right in front of me. I don't want my wife, my kids, listening to that. I want him gone’” (“OTL,” ESPN, 5/3). MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark said, "I tip my hat to Adam for being willing to voice his experience as I tip my hat to the other players that voice theirs, as well. I have experiences and I'm guessing a number of other players have had experiences, as well. It is simply unfortunate that we are still having this conversation because it goes well beyond baseball. ... But baseball tends to be and has been historically at the forefront of the conversation. ... This isn't a Boston issue. This isn't a particular city issue. This isn't a particular sport issue. It's an issue that should afford us an opportunity to have a much broader conversation" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 5/4).
WON'T BACK DOWN: Jones' agent, CAA's Nez Balelo, yesterday addressed the insults his client received Monday night: "We are not going to let up on this one until we see implemented policies put in place in every city to protect these players and stop this type of reckless behavior. There needs to be a 'Zero Tolerance' rule put in place across MLB to punish people that are going to act this way. ... I have been Adam Jones' agent for the past 10 years and have lived and experienced this type of behavior with him throughout the years. It has to stop and stop NOW" (FACEBOOK.com, 5/3). Kennedy "emphasized the role fans themselves can play in keeping Fenway Park safe and comfortable for everyone." He said, "The fans can really help us" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/4). Meanwhile, FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal reported agent Scott Boras "wants Congress to empower teams to harshly discipline fans who direct racist comments toward players at major-league parks." Boras "suggested Congressional legislation to that effect, believing it is warranted" after the incident involving Jones. Boras said, "Jackie Robinson carried the torch of our game as a spokesperson to help initiate Civil Rights legislation. This awareness needs to trigger legislation" (FOXSPORTS.com, 5/3). The N.Y. Daily News’ Bob Raissman said the racial taunts will “hurt” baseball’s efforts to get more African-American players into baseball. The N.Y. Daily News’ Anthony McCarron said MLB “can send a message here and that might help the whole issue because they’re making a lot of efforts to try to get more African-American kids to play baseball" ("Daily News Live,” SNY, 5/3).
THE AFTERMATH: In Boston, Peter Abraham writes Jones, "resolute and eloquent, stood tall in a difficult time." The "easy thing would have been to say nothing after Monday night and avoid creating a distraction for himself and his teammates." But Jones "spoke out against what was wrong, doing a great service for other players, the game, and perhaps even the city of Boston." Kennedy also "showed his ability to face adversity." Kennedy was "deeply hurt by the incident." That the "positive changes at Fenway Park over the last 15 years could be so swiftly undone unsettled him." Abraham: "This should not be a story we forget about after a few days. It should be one we act on" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/4). Cavaliers F LeBron James said the incident at Fenway is "not great for sports" and he has heard a couple athletes say "you expect that when you go to Boston." James: "I can't recall me ever hearing something that was racism towards me." He added, "Racism is going to be a part of time forever" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/4). Meanwhile, the Boston Globe runs an editorial cartoon on "racism at Fenway Park" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/4).
ON THE FIELD: The GLOBE's Abraham writes with tensions high between the Orioles and Red Sox following pitchers intentionally throwing at the other teams' hitters, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre yesterday told the teams that "further retaliation would be met with harsh penalties." Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell were on the call along with Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. Manfred "felt the safety of players was at stake because of payback pitches" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/4). ESPN.com's Scott Lauber writes, "Nothing about this childish beanball feud between the Red Sox and Orioles makes any sense." Manfred "felt the need to intervene," arranging a conference call to "deliver a stern message: Enough is enough." After the past two weeks, Manfred "didn't trust the sides to reach that conclusion on their own." Farrell said that he had "never seen MLB get involved in a peace accord between teams during his seven years as a manager" (ESPN.com, 5/4). ESPN’s J.A. Adande said, “If the office of the commissioner is not going to do anything to crack down and discourage teams and pitchers from throwing at batters, then maybe they look the other way when batters take offense and head out to the mound” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 5/3). Clark said of the Red Sox-Orioles feud, "It's unfortunate it got to the point where we saw what we saw last night, particularly against two of the best teams in the league" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 5/4).
TIME TO TAKE ACTION: In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck writes Manfred should take a "tough stand on something other than whether a batter stays in the box between pitches." Manfred and Torre should "have the courage to actually do something meaningful about it" (Baltimore SUN, 5/4). Clark said of potentially adding longer punishments for pitchers throwing at the head of a batter, "it’s definitely something the group is interested in having a broader discussion on. Again, I wish I had confidence that every pitcher could throw where he wants to all the time, but I think that’s naive, as well. But against the backdrop of the injury concern and the heads, which is not just our sport, but every sport where there is a concern about the type of damage that can be done there. ... Balls at the head and being hit in the head are much different now than they have been in the past" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 5/4).
