BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli apologized Wednesday for shouting 鈥渟it down, boy鈥� at Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras while instigating a benches’ clearing scrum a night earlier.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived,” Cavalli said. “Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that.鈥�
Cavalli shouted at Contreras after striking him out looking with a full-count pitch in the fourth inning of the .
The term 鈥渂oy鈥� has a racist history in the U.S. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked after the game if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli鈥檚 word choice.
鈥淢y teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me,鈥� Cavalli said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 sleep because of it. It hurt my heart, knowing that, if there鈥檚 a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that 鈥� that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn鈥檛 intended the way that it came out, and then he鈥檚 not looking up to me anymore 鈥� that hurts my heart.鈥�
When asked, he said he understands the meaning behind the word used.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a history behind that word, and that鈥檚 just something that as a competitor, like in football or basketball, playing whiffle ball with my brother, you don鈥檛 understand it,鈥� Cavalli said. 鈥淎nd then it gets perceived in a way that was not my intention, and then you learn from that. It鈥檒l never happen again.鈥�
The 27-year-old right-hander said he didn鈥檛 realize the public outcry on social media until he got back to his hotel room.
鈥淚 looked at my phone, and I saw what people were saying about me. Saw how torn up my wife was. It hurt my heart,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it. I really couldn鈥檛. Because I know that people know me, and they know my character, and that鈥檚 not me. So, it was hard. I truly didn鈥檛 sleep last night.鈥�
Contreras was walking back to the dugout after striking out and yelled back at Cavalli: “Are you talking to me?鈥� A few words were exchanged, and he charged the mound. He was stopped before he got to the pitcher. He tried to throw his helmet over a group of players at the righty.
Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton and Washington pitcher Miles Mikolas being ejected.
Cavalli said he hadn鈥檛 apologized to Contreras yet, but he hopes he hears his explanation.
鈥淚 have not reached out to him. I know that we鈥檙e both competitors, I hope that he hears this and he understands that was not what was intended at all,鈥� Cavalli said. 鈥淚 think he knows that. But if I see him, I want to make sure that he knows that.鈥�
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