Post by 2foolish on May 2, 2017 14:06:20 GMT -5
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Major League Baseball has condemned the "completely unacceptable" actions of Boston Red Sox fans on Monday night, and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy has apologized on the fans' behalf after Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said he was taunted with racial slurs during a game at Fenway Park.
Kennedy also apologized Tuesday for a fan throwing peanuts at Jones while the outfielder was in dugout. Kennedy said the organization is "sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few."
Jones, one of just 62 African-American players on the Opening Day rosters of the league's 30 teams this year, said he was "called the N-word a handful of times," according to USA Today Sports.
It's unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being," Jones said.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement that any such act -- at any ballpark -- will result in immediate removal and is "subject to further action."
"The racist words and actions directed at Adam Jones at Fenway Park last night are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our ballparks," Manfred said. "My office has been in contact with the Red Sox, and the club has made it clear that they will not tolerate this inexcusable behavior.
"Our 30 clubs will continue to work with fans and security to provide a family-friendly environment. Any individual who behaves in such offensive fashion will be immediately removed from the ballpark and subject to further action."
Kennedy issued an apology to Jones on Tuesday morning, saying the team has "zero tolerance for such inexcusable behavior."
"We issued an apology to Adam Jones, the entire Baltimore Orioles organization," Kennedy told WEEI on Tuesday. "It is incumbent upon the Red Sox to take our responsibilities seriously about making sure all of our fans and players feel safe and in an environment that is respectful and welcoming. ...
"Racism, unfortunately, can be in the DNA of our culture. We have to consistently work to eradicate it. Look, the Boston Red Sox are held to one of the highest standards in this market. We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to be supportive of our fans and our players. This goes well above wins and losses and baseball. We take it very seriously."
Kennedy said the organization takes Jones at his word for what happened and that the team will take steps to address it.
"This is representative of a very, very small group of ignorant and disrespectful people," Kennedy said. "Anyone who does this is not welcome at Fenway Park."
Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker and Boston mayor Marty Walsh also condemned the fans' behavior.
Added Walsh in a statement: "This is unacceptable and not who we are as a city. These words and actions have no place in Fenway, Boston, or anywhere. We are better than this."
Jones said it was not the first time hecklers in the stands at Fenway had targeted him with a slew of racist abuse, but Jones told USA Today and The Boston Globe that Monday night's taunts were among the worst experiences of his 12-year big league career.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "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.''
Jones said the fan who threw the peanuts at him in the dugout was located and escorted out of the ballpark, which was confirmed to USA Today by Red Sox officials after the game. But Jones said a harsher punishment from the league should be given, such as a major fine or lifetime ban from the stadium. He called the actions of the culprit in question "pathetic."
"It's called a coward," Jones said. "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."
Kennedy denied a report that there were 60 ejections at Monday night's game, saying instead there were 34, including 20 for alcohol-related incidents and two for marijuana.
"It was a high level of ejections," Kennedy said. "... We are going to speak to our players [Tuesday] just to make sure they know we take this very seriously and we have a responsibility we are doing everything in our front office as a front office to ensure that Fenway is a place where our fans and players feel safe. If Adam Jones felt unsafe at any point last night, it is our job to step up and take measures to correct it."
A five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Jones was the Orioles' 2016 Roberto Clemente Award nominee. The award recognizes a player "who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field," according to Major League Baseball.
"As someone who grew up in Boston, loves this ballpark, it kills me the action of one or two people or small group of people can cause this type of situation," Kennedy said.
ESPN's Scott Lauber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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£comment
Major League Baseball has condemned the "completely unacceptable" actions of Boston Red Sox fans on Monday night, and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy has apologized on the fans' behalf after Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said he was taunted with racial slurs during a game at Fenway Park.
Kennedy also apologized Tuesday for a fan throwing peanuts at Jones while the outfielder was in dugout. Kennedy said the organization is "sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few."
Jones, one of just 62 African-American players on the Opening Day rosters of the league's 30 teams this year, said he was "called the N-word a handful of times," according to USA Today Sports.
It's unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being," Jones said.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement that any such act -- at any ballpark -- will result in immediate removal and is "subject to further action."
"The racist words and actions directed at Adam Jones at Fenway Park last night are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our ballparks," Manfred said. "My office has been in contact with the Red Sox, and the club has made it clear that they will not tolerate this inexcusable behavior.
"Our 30 clubs will continue to work with fans and security to provide a family-friendly environment. Any individual who behaves in such offensive fashion will be immediately removed from the ballpark and subject to further action."
Kennedy issued an apology to Jones on Tuesday morning, saying the team has "zero tolerance for such inexcusable behavior."
"We issued an apology to Adam Jones, the entire Baltimore Orioles organization," Kennedy told WEEI on Tuesday. "It is incumbent upon the Red Sox to take our responsibilities seriously about making sure all of our fans and players feel safe and in an environment that is respectful and welcoming. ...
"Racism, unfortunately, can be in the DNA of our culture. We have to consistently work to eradicate it. Look, the Boston Red Sox are held to one of the highest standards in this market. We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to be supportive of our fans and our players. This goes well above wins and losses and baseball. We take it very seriously."
Kennedy said the organization takes Jones at his word for what happened and that the team will take steps to address it.
"This is representative of a very, very small group of ignorant and disrespectful people," Kennedy said. "Anyone who does this is not welcome at Fenway Park."
Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker and Boston mayor Marty Walsh also condemned the fans' behavior.
Added Walsh in a statement: "This is unacceptable and not who we are as a city. These words and actions have no place in Fenway, Boston, or anywhere. We are better than this."
Jones said it was not the first time hecklers in the stands at Fenway had targeted him with a slew of racist abuse, but Jones told USA Today and The Boston Globe that Monday night's taunts were among the worst experiences of his 12-year big league career.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "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.''
Jones said the fan who threw the peanuts at him in the dugout was located and escorted out of the ballpark, which was confirmed to USA Today by Red Sox officials after the game. But Jones said a harsher punishment from the league should be given, such as a major fine or lifetime ban from the stadium. He called the actions of the culprit in question "pathetic."
"It's called a coward," Jones said. "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."
Kennedy denied a report that there were 60 ejections at Monday night's game, saying instead there were 34, including 20 for alcohol-related incidents and two for marijuana.
"It was a high level of ejections," Kennedy said. "... We are going to speak to our players [Tuesday] just to make sure they know we take this very seriously and we have a responsibility we are doing everything in our front office as a front office to ensure that Fenway is a place where our fans and players feel safe. If Adam Jones felt unsafe at any point last night, it is our job to step up and take measures to correct it."
A five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Jones was the Orioles' 2016 Roberto Clemente Award nominee. The award recognizes a player "who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field," according to Major League Baseball.
"As someone who grew up in Boston, loves this ballpark, it kills me the action of one or two people or small group of people can cause this type of situation," Kennedy said.
ESPN's Scott Lauber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
