The Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park home for 100 years now but, apparently, their abode is not so humble to some.
Boston hosted the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for the first baseball action Fenway has seen this year, with the BoSox dominating the Rays, 12-2. The game featured Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach with a bizarre slide to get his first stolen base of his career. But even more bizarre was what was said off the field by Rays DH Luke Scott about the stadium. Via Evan Drellich of MLB.com:
As a baseball player, going there to work, it’s a dump. I mean, it’s old. It does have a great feel and nostalgia, but at the end of the day, I’d rather be at a good facility where I can get my work in. A place where I can go hit in the cage, where I have space and it’s a little more comfortable to come to work.
This wouldn’t be the first time Scott has done something to irritate the Boston faithful. As an Oriole last season, Scott was at Fenway when Baltimore defeated Boston on the last day of the season to prevent the Red Sox from making the postseason. He made comments to MLB.com during spring training about how sweet it was to eliminate Boston because of his disdain for their fans. From Bill Chastain of MLB.com:
Just their arrogance. The fans come in and they take over the city. They’re ruthless, they’re vulgar, they cause trouble, they talk about your family, swear at you. Who likes that? When people do that, it just gives you more incentive to beat them. Then when things like [the last game of last season, a 4-3 walk-off Orioles victory] happen, you celebrate even more. You go to St. Louis—classiest fans in the game. You do well, there’s no vulgarity. You know what? You don’t wish them bad.
It’s pretty clear Mr. Scott isn’t making any fans in Beantown, but his comments about the stadium make absolutely no sense to me—mainly for the fact that the Rays play in what might be the worst stadium in the majors.
Scott can take his shots at the ballpark and call it a “dump,” but Tropicana Field is, no offense Rays fans, the dump. It’s an eyesore, has a terrible atmosphere and I don’t like it.
And I’m far from alone in this mindset. Every single “Worst Stadiums in Baseball/Sports” has the Trop right in the top five, more often at No. 1 than not. I think The Dugout Doctors summed it up best: “No wonder the Rays haven’t won a World Series, who can win when the best thing about your stadium is the cat walk because you can jump from it. There is nothing more depressing than this field. If they ever blow it up I’ll be happen to push the button.”
So Luke Scott, you may be saying things to irk the Boston fans you despise so much, but next time, make sure your comments can’t be applied just as well to yourself.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com