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Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale said he acted "like an idiot," but also defended his actions during an incident in which he was seen having a meltdown after a frustrating minor league injury rehab assignment start with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox in a now-viral video.
The left-hander seemed to suggest that his actions were somewhat acceptable for a professional baseball athlete in the public eye compared to an individual in a different profession.
“If you want me to act like a normal person, you have to treat me like a normal person,” Sale told reporters via TheHill.com. “This isn’t like, a normal atmosphere, you know? If I was at Bank of America, this wouldn’t fly, right? We’re not at the Bank of America. This is sports. This is leverage. This is pressure. I take a lot of pride in what I do.”
When told bank employees also face pressure at their jobs, Sale responded, "everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
The pitcher later admitted to acting "like an idiot" and compared his actions to a "7-year-old" having a temper tantrum, though still acknowledged his frustrations with having cameras in certain areas such as the tunnel or clubhouse.
“Like I said, it’s not something I’m proud of. It’s not something I want to do. But like I said, stuff happens, man.”
The video, which was initially shared by NBC 10 Boston and NECN reporter Alysha Palumbo and captured by real estate agent Brian O'Neil, shows Sale angrily attempt to pull down an object from the wall of the clubhouse and then kick it several times.
The seven-time All-Star was pulled from Wednesday's game after walking in a run with two outs in the fourth inning -- his fifth walk of the night -- after throwing 72 pitches and allowing one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings during Worcester's game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, the New York Yankees' Triple-A farm team.
Sale reportedly paid for a television broken during the outburst and spent more than $6,000 on lunch and dinner for the Worcester players, coaches and staff, while also signing "lots of stuff for the WooSox foundation," WBZ sports anchor Dan Roche reports.
After the game, Sale, who is aiming to return from a stress fracture in his right rib cage experienced during a private workout in February while recovering from Tommy John surgery from the previous year, still said he was ready to return to the Sox's rotation.
"I’m very ready," Sale said via FOXSports.com. "I know today was a little bit of a hiccup, but there’s nothing that can’t be ironed out."
Sale was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the Chicago White Sox in 2016.
The left-hander was a member of Boston's World Series championship team in 2018 and led the American League in strikeouts during the 2015 and 2017 seasons.