Salty on Cervelli: How ‘Latin players' play

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Jarrod Saltalamacchia's analysis of what went on at home plate after Francisco Cervelli's fourth-inning home run raised some eyebrows among reporters in the Red Sox clubhouse.

"It's just the Latin players," Saltalamacchia said about Cervelli's passionate clap as he touched home. "That's the way they play the game. It's OK to an extent. If you go a little further than that, that's when you need to step back."

Saltalamacchia later retracted the statement and indicated that he intended to say that younger players are sometimes brought up with a different code than some of the veterans in the league.

As Red Sox Insider Sean McAdam noted, Saltalamacchia might catch some scrutiny for his comments, which could be perceived as racial stereotyping.

It'll be interesting to see if any of Saltalamacchia's Latin teammates respond to their catcher's comments. The Red Sox employ two of the most popular Latin players in the league in David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez, and they could do a lot to diffuse the situation if Saltalamacchia's comments are criticized.

Cervelli, 25, is of Italian descent but grew up in Venezuela.

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