Rafael Devers, back in Boston for the first time since getting traded to the San Francisco Giants last summer, got absolutely hammered with boos every time he stepped into the batter’s box Friday night. Can you believe it? The guy played nine seasons there, and the Fenway faithful made sure he knew exactly how they felt about him leaving.
Fenway’s Vicious Welcome
It was a wild scene at Fenway Park. The crowd was LOUD, letting Devers have it from the jump. He was the designated hitter, not even out in the field, and they still roasted him. Julian, one Red Sox fan, didn’t hold back, saying Devers “did a lot for our city, but I hate him. He’s not a team player. He’s selfish.” Talk about bad blood! Julian even doubled down, saying Devers “deserves to get booed. I don’t care what you did here. After you left, you’re not Red Sox anymore.” Ouch. And when Devers struck out in the first inning? Fenway erupted in cheers, a roar of pure satisfaction. The only break from the hostile noise came after the first inning when the team played a highlight video on the big screen, briefly drowning out the boos.
A Split Crowd, A Power Shot
But hold up, not everyone was on the boo train. Some fans were actually happy to see him back. One fan said he was “really happy to see him back” and thought it “makes sense” for Boston fans to boo him, but “I wouldn’t do it personally.” He said, “I would have cheered for him. Good to see him back.” Another fan, Aiden, felt strongly the other way, saying, “The team should have given him something. If they didn’t that would be super wrong.” Aiden pointed out Devers “did a lot for the city” and even “Won a World Series in 2018.” That’s a huge point, right? Despite all the noise and the mixed emotions from the fans, Devers still went deep, hitting a home run in the fourth inning. What a way to respond to the haters, even if just for a moment.
In the end, it was the Red Sox who took the W, beating the Giants 6-4 Friday night. Game two of this series goes down Saturday night at Fenway Park. What kind of reception do you think Devers gets then?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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