Cade Cavalli Apologizes After ‘Sit Down, Boy’ Comment Sparks Benches-Clearing Incident

Tuesday night’s game between the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals got ugly fast. And not because of the final score, which was 8-1 Nationals. The real mess started in the fourth inning when Washington pitcher Cade Cavalli struck out Red Sox catcher Willson Contreras.

Cavalli yelled, “Sit down, boy!” as Contreras walked back to the dugout. Contreras took exception. He turned around. Things escalated. Benches cleared. Contreras was ejected. And what might have been a heated but forgettable baseball moment turned into something much bigger.

Here’s the thing: the word “boy” carries a long and ugly history in the United States, especially when a white player directs it at a Black player. Contreras is Venezuelan. Cavalli is white. That context matters, and Cavalli acknowledged it in a long, remorseful statement the next day.

“I’m extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived,” Cavalli told ESPN. “Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that.”

He kept going. He talked about not being able to sleep. He talked about what it would mean if a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. saw the exchange and stopped looking up to him.

“That hurts my heart,” Cavalli said.

Cavalli Owns the History He Didn’t Know

Cavalli admitted he now understands the history behind that word. He said he never meant to use it as a racial jab. He was just fired up after a big strikeout. But intent isn’t the only thing that matters, and he seems to get that now.

As of Wednesday, Cavalli hadn’t spoken directly to Contreras yet. He said he hopes Contreras hears his apology and understands where he’s coming from.

“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.”

It’s still unclear whether the two will talk. The Red Sox left Washington after the series loss. There’s no guarantee they’ll see each other again soon. But the apology is out there now, and so is the conversation about what that kind of language means, regardless of intent.