After last night’s game in Boston, the Baltimore Orioles’ All-Star outfielder Adam Jones told USA Today that Red Sox fans subjected him to the worst racial taunts he’s heard while playing in Fenway Park.
“A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me,’’ Jones told USA Today, “I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. Thanks. Pretty awesome.’’
The newspaper was able to confirm that a fan had thrown a bag of peanuts and that security caught him and ejected him from the stadium.
The Red Sox organization issued an official apology to Jones, releasing a statement that said:
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.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also issued a statement condemning the fans’ actions, and Boston’s Mayor Marty Walsh took to Twitter to address the incident.
Yet, as much as Boston sports fans and dignitaries object, this is far from the first accusation of racism leveled at Beantown from athletes. For a long time, the Celtics have struggled to sign big-name free agents because players regard the city as racist. Back in 2014, Bruins fans directed racist Tweets at Montreal player P.K. Subban after he scored a winning playoff goal. And Boston pitcher David Price has faced taunts from his own fans.
Jones told USA Today that he’d like MLB and teams to look at harsher punishment for fans who act this way, especially ones throwing objects onto the field.
“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,” 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.”