Atmosphere a priority for O’s
MLB, team look at policies to remain family-friendly after slurs aimed at Jones
When Baltimore resident Daniel Spriggs heard about the racial slurs that Orioles center fielder Adam Jones received earlier this week at Fenway Park, it didn’t surprise him — because Spriggs said he has heard the same language while attending a Red Sox game in Boston.
Spriggs, 31, took his 5-year-old son, Jackson, to his first baseball game at Camden Yards on Friday night, saying that attending a major league ballgame in Baltimore is much different than what he experienced in Boston.
“From what I hear, and my own experience in Boston, it didn’t seem too off base,” said Spriggs, who said he heard racial slurs being hurled while attending a game at Fenway Park five years ago while he was on a work trip. “I wasn’t surprised at all. Boston is an isolated situation. I’ve only been to three ballparks — the Braves’ [in Atlanta], Boston and here, and Boston was the only place I’ve seen or experienced anything in the racial [sense].”
In the wake of this week’s events, Major League Baseball is reaching out to all 30 clubs to review their policies and procedures when handling abusive language and hate speech. It’s the first step of canvassing the baseball landscape to re-evaluate how individual clubs handle such language in the stands and directed toward players.
“Our clubs do a wonderful job in terms of providing an environment for fans,” MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said. “After a situation like this occurs, you owe it to everyone to look into what’s going on so you can continue to provide that.”
At Camden Yards, the Orioles’ code of O’S PREVAIL
Orioles defeat White Sox, 4-2, after losing starter Wade Miley in first inning.
Closer Zach Britton held out with forearm discomfort. After Adam Jones was the target of racial slurs in Boston, the Orioles are working to assure similar events don’t occur here.