Red Sox: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at Fenway Park
By Rick McNair
Home for the Boston Red Sox is Fenway Park and that brings back memories. Some are unforgettable and others should be forgettable. Here are a few of mine.
Recently, two incidents happened at Fenway Park that in one instance was reprehensible and the second one that was humorous, humiliating and embarrassing depending on your interpretation. For me, the second one was all three rolled up neatly for social media fodder. I will start with that one.
Fenway has become a marriage proposal site recently – a baseball Niagara Falls for popping the question. Invariably the woman says yes as the male goes through the traditional genuflecting before his intended. The results are predictable as she says a resounding “Yes!,” and proceeds to hop around like Monty Hall has presented her with all the wealth behind door number three.
The woman turned him down. Naturally, the sympathetic and understanding Fenway crowd responded as one would expect as the couple soon to be solo – engaged in a rather public kerfuffle. Maybe this will discourage others or allow the trapped female to feel comfortable about rejecting a suitor?
The main incident of note has been beaten to death in the media – both social and legitimate. The racial taunts directed at the Orioles Adam Jones garnered some exceptional national coverage that brought to the surface some of the inglorious histories of Boston and the Red Sox. That will allow me to segue into my first slide.
There is little need to recount the racial history of the Boston Red Sox as it is a well-worn topic, but I do have some first-hand personal experience with players of color being taunted at Fenway Park. A little personal background will lead into it.