Sale stepped off mound during Jones' AB to show him 'respect'

Lost amid the pettiness and overall unpleasantness connected to the Boston Red Sox-Baltimore Orioles rivalry is a certain amount of mutual respect.

When Orioles outfielder Adam Jones came to the plate in the first inning, the fans stood and gave him an ovation a day after he was subjected to racist remarks from the Fenway Park stands.

Not only did Boston fans cheer a member of the opposing team, Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale also stepped off the mound as it happened. He said the gesture was all about respect, according to the Providence Journal's Tim Britton.

"Obviously, what happened yesterday happened. There's no going back from that," Sale said. "I wanted to show him the respect he's earned and that he deserves. We have a great fan base here. I don't want a few idiots to mess that up. I think Fenway came together, the Boston fans came together, and did the right thing today, plain and simple. Adam's one of the best players in the game. He's very well respected. He's a good guy. I know him. He's a good person. I don't think anybody deserves to go through anything like that. I was appreciative of that moment. It was special to see Boston come together and make the right choice, to do the right thing."

Jones certainly recognized the gesture.

"Much appreciated," Jones said, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. "Appreciative of the action taken and that not everybody feels the same way as a select people. Much appreciated Sale, who works extremely fast, took his time and let it relish a bit. I appreciate the sentiments."

While this show of camaraderie between rivals didn't last long, it was a brief unifying moment that went beyond the scope of baseball.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)