The day after a Red Sox fan threw peanuts at and taunted Orioles center fielder Adam Jones with racial slurs, Boston media, players and fans alike reckoned with how to move past the ugliness Tuesday.
One idea: Give him a standing ovation. Ahead of Tuesday night's game, the symbolic gesture already had the endorsement of Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, via Twitter.
So when Jones came to the plate at Fenway Park for his first at-bat, fans stood and applauded.
More accurately, some fans stood and applauded. Others sat and applauded. Others just sat, perhaps out of a distaste for the Orioles, perhaps out of a belief that one fan's actions should not consign an entire crowd to applauding Jones' return to the ballpark.
Three pitches later, Red Sox fans were applauding again, because Jones struck out. Then Boston ace Chris Sale threw a pitch behind Manny Machado.
