On June 30, for the second night in a row, Willson Contreras was ejected against the Washington Nationals. The first baseman's first ejection was admittedly soft, but he got his money's worth the second time.
Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli struck Contreras out looking in the fourth inning, and as the first baseman walked back to the Boston Red Sox's dugout, Cavalli shouted "sit down, boy" after him. Contreras rightfully felt disrespected by the comment and approached the mound, jawing at the pitcher. Then, Contreras became the one in the wrong.
The benches cleared in both dugouts and the bullpens ran into the scrum. Contreras threw punches as multiple players held him back from Cavalli. He also threw his helmet into the scuffle, a move certain to get him suspended.
Contreras and Cavalli both spoke after the game and mentioned an incident in the first inning that led to the brawl. Cavalli felt Contreras purposely bumped into him as he ran off third base and back to the dugout in the first inning, to which Cavalli took offense. Contreras claimed he didn't nudge him on purpose and that he apologized after, but Cavalli said no apology was offered.
But Red Sox fans discovered Contreras did apologize. Tony Massarotti of the "Felger and Mazz" show on 98.5 The Sports Hub and many other fans posted video of Contreras running to the dugout after the first inning, clearly showing that he apologized to Cavalli after getting close to him. In the angle posted by Massarotti, it didn't look like Contreras made contact with Cavalli at all.
Cavalli has made himself appear untrustworthy in multiple ways after his tiff with Contreras. First, he denied that Contreras apologized, which fans clearly saw on video — maybe Cavalli didn't hear it, and he can be given the benefit of the doubt there.
Willson Contreras clearly apologized to Cade Cavalli after Red Sox-Nationals first inning incident that led to fourth frame brawl
But after the game, he claimed that he couldn't remember referring to Contreras as "boy," a term with a long, racist history, when NESN caught him saying it, clear as day. He made two statements that evidence from the broadcast refutes without much room for interpretation. Cavalli also claimed he didn't know his nickname for Contreras has a racist background.
Cavalli released a statement after before the July 1 getaway game in the series, which does not contain an apology, but acknowledges the potentially racist name-calling (telling on himself, as he wouldn't admit to saying it the night before). Nationals president of baseball operations and former Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni's statement is far better.
"A big part of it for me is it doesn't matter if your intent is okay. Because the bottom line is that there are folks around Washington DC, around the country, that might receive it differently than you receive it," Toboni said (via Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic).
Contreras told reporters that he didn't interpret Cavalli's comment as racist, but that doesn't make it acceptable. MLB hasn't yet ruled on fines and suspensions from the incident, but there's no world where Cavalli should get off scot free.
Contreras took the fight too far by throwing his helmet, and he'll likely be suspended for multiple games because of it. He, as one of the only veterans on the team, should know the Red Sox desperately need him on the field, and his actions will hurt the club.
But Contreras' account of the events seems correct while Cavalli's story doesn't add up. Both parties involved in the confrontation should be punished — obviously in varying degrees — by MLB because racism, intentional or not, can't be allowed. Neither can violent acts.
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