(NEXSTAR) — Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale admitted that he acted “like an idiot” after cameras caught him vandalizing the clubhouse during a Triple-A game earlier this week.
Sale, who was pitching during a rehab stint with the Worcester Red Sox on Wednesday, was filmed ripping down and kicking items during a violent outburst in the clubhouse after he was taken out of the game in the fourth inning, MLB.com reported.
The footage, which was shared on Twitter by WBTS and NECN reporter Alysha Palumbo, had been viewed over 4.5 million times by Friday morning.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sale initially suggested that this type of behavior was somewhat acceptable for a professional baseball player. He also appeared to blame the fact that — as an athlete in the public eye — people sometimes film his actions.
“If you want me to act like a normal person, you have to treat me like a normal person,” said Sale, according to video shared by Yahoo! Sports. “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 informed that bank employees, too, might be under quite a bit of pressure at their jobs, Sale said “everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.”
Sale later admitted to acting “like an idiot” during Wednesday night’s game, comparing his actions to that of a “7-year-old” having a temper tantrum. Over the years, however, he said he learned to take his frustrations out in places where “you’re supposed to not really have cameras,” like the tunnel or the 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.”
Sale, 31, has reportedly paid for the damages he caused, which also included the destruction of a television, according to sports reporter Dan Roche of Boston’s WBZ-TV. He also bought lunch and dinner for the players and staff at a cost of approximately $6,000, Roche reported.