MANCHESTER — Fisher Cats first baseman and slugger Mike McDade realizes his size is a double-edged sword. His 6-foot 1-inch 250-pound frame makes him an asset in the lineup.

It also, on occasion, makes him a target of fans.

“Sometimes, some fans will say something about my weight. But it really hasn’t gotten to the point where it’s extreme, like what happened to (Boston Red Sox outfielder) Carl Crawford,” McDade, a 23-year-old African American, said before the Fisher Cats opened a four-game series with the Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday.

McDade was referring to the July 5 incident at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Crawford, on a rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs, was the target of a fan’s racial slur.

Leominster, Mass., police Officer John Perreault was identified as the individual who uttered the racial epithet. The story received national attention.

Perreault’s behavior, McDade said, does not remotely reflect what he sees of — and hears from — baseball fans who attend games along the Merrimack River.

“I was shocked. I really didn’t expect that from here,” McDade said of the incident. “Just one fan ruined it for other fans who come out here and support every day.”

In his second season playing for the Fishers, McDade said his experience with fans throughout the Eastern League has been positive. Hecklers directing comments toward him tend to surface in opposing ballparks.

Acknowledging a heckler with a smile, he said, often diffuses the situation.

Of course, McDade also said, “I haven’t experienced anything like (Crawford) experienced that day. It’s been fine. I’ve been up here about two years now. I’ve had no problems up here.”

Red Sox prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. is new to Double-A baseball (30 games). Nonetheless, Portland’s 21-year-old outfielder, who is also African American, said Fisher Cat fans have embraced him.

“I feel this (ballpark), in a way, can be a neutral site for us. You see a lot of red out there,” Bradley said in reference to the number of Red Sox fans who attend Fishers games.

Bradley said even his brief experience playing at New Jersey’s Waterfront Park — home of Yankees affiliate Trenton — was without incident.

That isn’t to say Bradley has never been heckled. Like McDade, however, Bradley said barbs thrown his way didn’t rival the slur directed at Crawford.

“I hear everything. But you’ve just got to brush it off and continue playing,” Bradley said. “You’ve got to have tough skin.”

- - - - - - - -

Marc Thaler may be reached at mthaler@unionleader.com.