Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli has issued a public apology after directing a racially insensitive remark at Boston Red Sox player Willson Contreras, an action that precipitated a bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park.
The incident occurred in the fourth inning of the Nationals' victory on Tuesday night after Cavalli struck out Contreras on a full count. Cavalli's shout of "sit down, boy" at Contreras immediately drew a strong negative reaction. The term "boy" has historically been used in the United States in a derogatory and racially charged manner.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Cavalli stated he was "extremely torn up" about the perception of his words and insisted there was no racial malice intended. "Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that," Cavalli said.
Contreras, visibly angered by the taunt, charged the mound and attempted to throw his batting helmet at Cavalli before being restrained. The confrontation led to four ejections: Contreras, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy, outfielder Nate Eaton, and Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas.
When asked about the racial component of Cavalli's taunt, Contreras stated he would "let MLB handle that."
Cavalli explained that the full impact of the situation, including the public outcry, became clear to him only after checking social media upon returning to his hotel. He described seeing how upset his wife was and how the backlash hurt him deeply, as he felt it did not reflect his character.
"I couldn't believe it. I really couldn't. Because I know that people know me, and they know my character, and that's not me," Cavalli stated. He added that he did not sleep that night due to the emotional toll on him and his family.
The pitcher emphasized that his organization and teammates understand his true character. "My teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me," Cavalli said. He expressed regret over potentially setting a negative example, particularly for young fans. "It hurt my heart, knowing that if there's a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that -- that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn't intended the way that it came out, and then he's not looking up to me anymore -- that hurts my heart."
Cavalli acknowledged that he now understands the historical weight behind the term he used, attributing the incident to thoughtless competitive trash talk. "There's a history behind that word, and that's just something that as a competitor, like in football or basketball, playing whiff ball with my brother, you don't understand it," he explained. "And then it gets perceived in a way that was not my intention, and then you learn from that. It'll never happen again."
Cavalli also referenced a prior tense moment at the end of the first inning where Contreras nearly collided with him. Despite his remorse, Cavalli confirmed he had not yet personally spoken to Contreras.
"I have not reached out to him. I know that we're both competitors. I hope that he hears this and he understands that was not what was intended at all," Cavalli said. "I think he knows that. But if I see him, I want to make sure that he knows that."