Willson Contreras shows true leadership amid Red Sox fan anger

"Something's bothering my leg," Contreras explained. "That's why I didn't run the other day, when the fans booed me. Man, didn't run for one time and they boo anybody! Which is good. 

"But I don't care," he continued. "I think it's part of baseball. They have the right to boo, they have the right to yell, they have the right to everything."

Contreras' confident, humble response to the episode is reminiscent of how he handled a minor fracas with teammate Jarren Duran at the end of July, when he responded by complimenting the outfielder's passionate nature and emphasizing the team's unity.

Here, the slugger similarly lifts up the fans for feeling the way they do, affirming their drive to see the team win rather than trying to tell anybody they should be thankful that the club ever had a winning streak in the first place.

Still some room for improvement

That all being said, the response from Contreras could have come a little sooner than it did.

The infielder, whether by his own volition or a decision from the team, did well to wait until he cranked his first homer of August to speak with the media. The loss in Toronto was still the best offensive performance he'd had in a few weeks, making it a slightly softer interview than it might have been had he spoken directly after being booed.

But by that same token, Contreras also didn't shy away from discussing his defensive error in the same game, a hard-hit ball right to him that he should have snared but didn't.

"I dropped the ball," Contreras stated simply. "Dropped the ball. An error — it's not the first one that I've made, it won't be the last one. Turn the page; tomorrow's another game."

Red Sox fans will be hoping that Contreras' teammates are listening to that sort of attitude as they look to bounce back from this cold spell. Mistakes have been made, balls have been dropped, crowds have been angry — but there's a new game to play today.

Coming from a player best known for his powerful swing and fiery antics, it's the things said the most quietly that sometimes resonate the loudest. If that clubhouse spirit can translate to on-field improvements, the rest will be easy to forgive.