Rodriguez tries to clear air following boos

PHILADELPHIA -- Sean Rodríguez used his time following a thrilling walk-off home run Monday night at Citizens Bank Park to chastise Phillies fans who booed his teammates and, according to him, said nasty things.

Rodriguez called those fans “entitled.” Phillies fans have heartily booed him since, including his eighth-inning pinch-hit at-bat in Wednesday night’s 12-3 victory over the Pirates. He struck out looking.

“It's hard not to expect that, right?” Rodriguez said. “I mean, I wasn't trying to insult anybody with what I said. … I'm very similar to the Philly fan base. I'm a very passionate person. I'm a passionate player. I show up every day and I don't leave anything in the tank.

“I honestly think it was just me trying to promote love over hate. There's a lot of things going on in the world and in life. I'm not saying that baseball can't help distract us from that, because that's a good thing. That’s what we need as people sometimes. We need distraction just to get us into a better place, or at least just to allow our emotions, just to feel a little bit better. That was the message I was going for, and it definitely wasn't to offend them.”

Philadelphia is certainly different than Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay, where Rodriguez spent most of his career. Philly fans are tough. They are demanding. Some players handle the boos here better than others. Sometimes, it seems to be a matter of perspective.

“I've been booed many a time,” former Phils left-hander Cole Hamels said following his first start of the 2011 season. “If you kind of get that response, it's the understanding that people know that you're good. They expect you to do well, and when you don't, they're disappointed, just like anybody. It's human nature.”

Former Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth said in March: “If you win in Philly, it’s the best. I don’t think any city wins better. They win the best and lose the worst. It’s an awesome place to play. It’s a great city. There is no place better to win.”

• Kapler's take on boos for Rodriguez

Rodriguez said he was trying to defend teammates like Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and Hector Neris, who have been booed recently.

“I definitely will stand up for injustice,” Rodriguez said. “I'm not the biggest guy, I'm not the strongest guy and I'm not going to win every fight. I understand that. But I don't mind standing toe to toe with anyone and everyone, and I know Philly fans can relate to that as well. I actually appreciate the passion."

The word that Rodriguez used Monday that bothered Phils fans the most is that they are “entitled.”

“I mean, could I probably have used different words? Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I could've said, 'Love over hate.’ I do agree that the fans obviously pay to come watch a game and they feel entitled to want to say something. And again, like I said, I thought I was pretty clear: the boos aren't anything I'm actually opposed to. When they're properly directed, that's fine. It's some of the other stuff that was being said underneath that.

“If we don't hustle, absolutely get on us. If we don't show up and play our butts off, like we should on a daily basis, I'm probably one of the first ones to respectfully approach each and every one of us. So was 'entitled' something that no doubt offended a lot of people? Yeah. For that I'm sorry. The offense isn't something I was trying to do. But to stand on what I was trying to put out -- love over hate -- yeah, that I can't back down from. I don't think I'm wrong there.”