Mini-hell breaking loose at Fenway

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sheffield swings at a fan along the line, bizarre shit unfolds fairly briefly.

[DaddyTorgo]

so i just heard this from a friend, i was watching a bit of South Park at the time. Figures anyway. Put on the pinstripes and you turn into a no-class thug (by and large, with some exceptions). But just look at those two jokers from two years ago with the bullpen thing, and A-Rod with the fairy-swing last year, and now this. Guess it was a little roid-rage for Sheffy.

[henry296]

It looks like a fan was reaching down to try to pick up a live ball, and got in Sheffield's way. He overreacted, but the fan wasn't very innocent either.

[JonInMiddleGA]

After the first 20 or so of likely thousands of replays, my take ...

1) Sheffield looks like a complete ass in this sequence, absolutely uncalled for & he deserves at least a week suspension.

2) Watching it over & over, I don't believe the fan is swinging at Sheffield (as I think Gary thought) nor is he trying to interfere with the ball (as the talking heads were droning on & on about) -- looks to my like an almost random gesture, like he was swinging his arm. Notice that he's looking toward the infield, not at the ball nor at Sheffield when he swings his arm.

3) Rick Sutcliffe sounded like a friggin' idiot & Berman had to save him from making himself sound even dumber. He's about to go on a rant about some fan throwing a beer at poor Sheffield ... the beer was sitting on the rail and it spilled plain & simple Granted, it doesn't belong there, but if fans were packed liked sardines in arena seats ...

FTR, remember, I'm one of the guys who thoroughly & completely defended/defends the actions of Jermaine O'Neal, et al, so I'm not exactly part of the anti-player crowd.
Just calling this one, like that one, the way I see it.

[Ksyrup]

Apparently the guy was arrested, according to the NESN reporter.

[DaddyTorgo]

i wanna see the replay!! the NESN guys were also saying that Sheff came off looking majorly ridiculous and out of control...stupid thuggy yankees.

[LoneStarGirl]

According to ESPN Sheffield didn't throw a punch. That doesn't seem too out of control to me. If you thought a fan, a Boston fan at that, was throwing a punch at you wouldn't you immediatly be on the defensive? At least he didn't use violence.

[cmp]

I dont believe the fan was swinging at Sheffield at all.

[KWhit]

Me either.

[KWhit]

The fan was arrested? For what? Assault? If so, why wasn't Sheff arrested as well?

[DaddyTorgo]

okay I just saw the replay there on NESN. Doesn't look like Sheff was really swinging at the fan at all. Looks to me more like he was shrugging him away to make sure the guy didn't interfere with his throw. That said the guy shouldn't have been hanging his arm over there, but I guess what do you expect fans to do...see the ball and the play coming to them way out in rightfield and sit down to let the opponent make a play?

[cmp]

The fan was arrested? For what assault? If so, why wasn't Sheff arrested as well?

There is no way that fan should have been arrested.

[VPI97]

but I guess what do you expect fans to do...see the ball and the play coming to them way out in rightfield and sit down to let the opponent make a play? That's what they do everywhere else.

[KWhit]

I just heard on ESPN that the fan wasn't arrested, but was thrown out. That makes more sense.

[DaddyTorgo]

now that's not true (about fans everywhere else sitting down)

[DaddyTorgo]

dola


damn, postgame press conference and Tito is PISSED at the homeplate umpire (who did look a little pathetic IMO). "I'd had it...I didn't want to watch him umpire anymore."

[Galaxy]

I was just watching YES Network, and the commentator starting yelling about the lady, "who threw her beer". Are you kidding me? The lady reacted, fell back, and loss control her beer and it splash, not threw.

[VPI97]

now that's not true (about fans everywhere else sitting down) Maybe I don't watch enough baseball but I've never heard of a fan reaching onto the field to make contact with an opposing player who is trying to make a play...at least no time in the last 50 years. Do you have an example to point out?

[terpkristin]

I just saw the replay and the fan certainly wasn't the only one with his hands down there. EVERYBODY on that side was reaching down. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it IS done quite often at Fenway and Yankee Stadiums...

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

VPI - they weren't trying to make contact with Sheffield. They were just hanging their arms down over the wall

[terpkristin]

Yes, I agree with Torgo. They weren't interfering at all (unless maybe a bit distracting).

/tk

[VPI97]

VPI - they weren't trying to make contact with Sheffield. They were just hanging their arms down over the wall Meh...it looked to me like once Sheffield bent down, the fan swept his arm forward to clip him on the jaw. Intentional or not, if I were Sheffield I'd be pissed too. They need to raise the walls in some of these fields.

[Karlifornia]

Well, fans do that crap all the time. I remember the Giants/Angels World Series game 7. An Angels player shoots a ball down the right field line and Giants RF Reggie Sanders chases it into the corner, where fans are hitting him on the back with their "thunder sticks" or whatever. It happens in nearly every game.

[DaddyTorgo]

i suggest you watch it in slo-mo a couple times VPI. With the sound off. And thanks RFUS for the timely example.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Lost in this is what Fenway security said to the chick reporter on the sideline -- that the fan was "waving the ball around the corner" and made contact with Sheffield. Now that description of what he was doing with his arm is what I was saying, it was a motion with his arm, not anything aimed at the ball or Sheffield. And unless the guy wants to sit in the lap of the guy behind him, then yes, his arm will indeed break the plane in front of him and cross onto the playing surface. He was caught up in the moment, as many fans often are, but he wasn't taking a shot at Sheffield nor trying to interfere with anything.

I go back to something I believe I said during the NBA version of this -- it's way past time for physical barriers to be placed between fans & the playing surface for ALL major sports in the US. But in tonight's case, the only other option to prevent this would have been for the fans in that row of seats to have stood with their arms firmly at their sides/sat stoically in their seats during that particular play -- that's the only way that no part of their body crosses into the "airspace" over the playing field. That's just the reality of shoving seats that close to the field.

[VPI97]

i suggest you watch it in slo-mo a couple times VPI. With the sound off. And thanks RFUS for the timely example. This isn't the Kennedy assassination. Sheffield instinctively grabbed his chin to check for a cut...that's a pretty clear indicator that contact was made.

[DaddyTorgo]

watching the NESN postgame show. They just showed the 4th inning pitch to Sheffield with the bases loaded...conclusively a strike. No question about it. Right over the middle of the plate, mask high. The umpiring SUCKED tonight

[VPI97]

it's way past time for physical barriers to be placed between fans & the playing surface for ALL major sports in the US. That's pretty much what I think. If you can't trust fans to act right, get them out of position to interfere with the game.

[DaddyTorgo]

watching the thing 4 or 5 times, the guy may have brushed him in the jaw, but he wasn't even LOOKING at sheffield. he was looking in toward the infield to see who was scoring. And as for the beer, somebody gets excited...bumps the lady...her beer spills forward. Nobody threw the goddamn beer on him, and nobody tried to assault him.

[Maple Leafs]

Thank god, after five or six days, we finally have something to thrust the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry back onto the front page.

[st.cronin]

Thank god, after five or six days, we finally have something to thrust the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry back onto the front page.

LOL

[illinifan999]

All I know is that after the whole Pistons/Pacers thing if I was a player in a rival's stadium and I was making a play near the stands and I felt someone touch me, that would be my reaction too. He didn't make himself look like an ass.

[Maple Leafs]

All I know is that after the whole Pistons/Pacers thing if I was a player in a rival's stadium and I was making a play near the stands and I felt someone touch me, that would be my reaction too.
Really? After Pacers/Pistons, you'd think it was a good idea to escalate an altercation with fans instead of just walking away?

(By the way, just saw the replay... there's no way that was the "uppercut" that ESPN described. Maybe close enough that you can say Sheffield was justified in protecting himself, but you'd think the media that's had a chance to see a few replays would call it like it is.)

[Suicane75]

Worst....Hub ub.......Ever.

[larrymcg421]

Whether or not Sheffield was justified in defending himself, the important thing to note is that he did it BEFORE throwing the ball back to the infield. Idiot!

[dubb93]

It was obvious that the fan was looking at the infield and I'm pretty sure he was acting like a base coach, as in telling the runners to go on. He probably didn't know that Shef was going to be that close, however I honestly think that Sheffield did throw a punch right after words, or atleast shoved him. I think they should have arrested HIM. Completely uncalled for. [and I'm on of the guys on the players side in the NBA brawl]

[GoldenEagle]

How about that security guy jumping in the middle of them. He was the smallest guy in there. That took balls.

[Desnudo]

Much ado about nothing.

[Huckleberry]

That's pretty much what I think. If you can't trust fans to act right, get them out of position to interfere with the game.
Comical that you think the fan did anything wrong there.

[Chief Rum]

Well, fans do that crap all the time. I remember the Giants/Angels World Series game 7. An Angels player shoots a ball down the right field line and Giants RF Reggie Sanders chases it into the corner, where fans are hitting him on the back with their "thunder sticks" or whatever. It happens in nearly every game.

Not defending the fans at all, as they shouldn't be doing that.

But IIRC, the thunderstick or two that were waved at Sanders did not hit him and were behind him, and he just completely misplayed the ball.

And the runners on base were going to score anway just on the hit alone. :)

(I know Giants fans will disagree, but, wow, that was a great Series no one east of the Mississippi bothered to watch)

CR

[Swaggs]

I think the fan is fully to blame here. Sheffield was running with the play with his eye on the ball and the fan took a big swipe in the field of play. Now, whether to get the ball, to hit Sheffield, or my speculation, to knock Sheffield's cap off to make his buddies laugh, the fan had no business interfering with a player on the field.

[miami_fan]

I think the fan is fully to blame here. Sheffield was running with the play with his eye on the ball and the fan took a big swipe in the field of play. Now, whether to get the ball, to hit Sheffield, or my speculation, to knock Sheffield's cap off to make his buddies laugh, the fan had no business interfering with a player on the field.

How dare you question the infallible integrity of the fan?! A fan would never EVER do anything of the things that you have suggested. :rolleyes:

[Ragone]

Plain and simple.. its time for space to be put between fans and the court/playing field.. eliminate first row seating should pretty much eliminate the need for barricades


And as far as this situation.. That fan had no right to be reaching over the railing, and being ejected from the stadium was also right.. Nothing should happen to sheffield

[Ksyrup]

Eliminate the first row of seating? Are you crazy? Those seats are expensive! I think the owners would rather put up plexiglass then lose out on the revenue from the first row of seats.

[Ragone]

Eliminate the first row of seating? Are you crazy? Those seats are expensive! I think the owners would rather put up plexiglass then lose out on the revenue from the first row of seats.


Hear me out ksyrup.. eliminate the first row of seating.. and up that 2nd row to the 1st row cost touting them as "Expanded leg room seats"

[Ksyrup]

If you expand the leg room of the second row, that means they can get just as close to the field as if there were still first row seats, though. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

[Ragone]

Well, then if they are reaching over the sides.. its clearly their fault :)


Besides most people are too lazy and too slow to react that fast to a ball they'd have to get up and walk 3-5 feet and reach over a rail for :)

[miked]

Man, you all need glasses.

First of all, it wasn't the lady that threw the beer, it was the guy next to her that appeared to intentionally toss his beer in Sheffield's direction and then sort of sneaks away. Maybe if you watch it again, you'll be able to see. Or maybe I'm blind, but it pretty much looks like the dude next to her, the one with the big smile on his face, tosses his beer then sort of backs away behind somebody else.

The other fan grazed Sheffield in the face and the simple fact is, regardless of where he's looking, he reached into the field of play and made contact with a player. I don't get how people are getting all pissy at Sheff, when he just sort of pushed the guy away, threw the ball back in and restrained himself. Going to many games a year, I can honestly say that most fans at Fenway are drunk and beligerent...it's the fun of it to us I guess. But to place the blame on a ballplayer who is interfered with in the middle of a play on the field is retarded.

[miked]

Comical that you think the fan did anything wrong there.

Yeah, fans should be able to toss beers and reach on to the field at players during live play. Mabye we should just release 10 fans each play onto the field and let them wreck havoc until stopped.

[VPI97]

Comical that you think the fan did anything wrong there.Whatever, dude.

[Ragone]

This is going to be an unpopular statement

Maybe its time we got beer outta sports stadiums?

or start cutting people off after the fifth inning.. that looked like alot of beer sitting around that corner

[JasonC23]

I love how ESPN kept reporting about a fan swinging at Sheffield, throwing an uppercut at Sheffield, a fan trying to punch Sheffield...and then I finally see the replay, and as many have mentioned here, the guy isn't even looking at him. Maybe he was swinging at him, but it's impossible to say (looks to me like he went for the ball, like most stupid fans sitting along the foul lines do).

I guess I shouldn't be shocked that ESPN immediately went for the most inflammatory reporting of the situation. Reminds me of the local news after the Bartman incident--it took all of the restraint Mark Giangreco had to not specifically say fans should kick the crap out of Bartman.

[Ragone]

You know, i like how that fan who tossed the beer on sheffield cleared the hell outta there after he did it.. and those two women as well

[Huckleberry]

Perhaps I should clarify. Reaching onto the field = bad. But he didn't do anything intentionally to Sheffield. I've got no problem with the fact that he was ejected from the game for interfering with play. And this beer toss is something I still haven't seen.

Sheffield, though, overreacted. Once he started posturing at the fan with his tough guy act, at that point I wouldn't blame the fan for punching him in the mouth.

I do think this is a problem that has been waiting to happen with the fans on top of the field.

[Ragone]

Ok, Lets break this down in everyday person terms..


If someone came to your work.. reached over your cubicle wall and smacked you in the face..what would you do?

What if he said he was reaching for a pen/donut/whatever?

[Ksyrup]

I turned the game on DirecTV (NESN coverage) right after this happened (Varitek was already standing at third), and I've only seen one replay of it. However, Remy's attempt to explain what happened was just as lopsided - I think he said it looked like the guy was either trying to get the ball, or - and I swear I heard this - that the guy was trying to motion to other fans to stay away from the ball. Without even knowing the situation, I started laughing at the latter suggestion.

In any event, my one slow-mo replay look at it made quite clear that the guy obviously didn't mean to touch Sheffield, or if he did, he went out of his way to be so nonchalant about it that you couldn't tell. And since this was a spur-of-the-moment play, I simply can't believe the guy did this in some pre-meditated, "if the ball rolls over here and Sheffield's close enough, I'm going to hit him" fashion, or that he was thinking on his feet so clearly and quickly that he could pull off an "accidental intentional" shot at Sheffield. However, he did touch Sheffield, accidentally or not, so he was properly ejected. No different from the guy who grabs a ball thinking it was foul, when it was fair. Gone.

[Huckleberry]

Ok, Lets break this down in everyday person terms..


If someone came to your work.. reached over your cubicle wall and smacked you in the face..what would you do?

What if he said he was reaching for a pen/donut/whatever?
If there were a pen/donut/whatever nearby that he would reasonably be interested in, then no harm. I certainly wouldn't shove him and then get in his face like I'm going to do something.

Better yet, a better analogy. One of my paying customers reaches across the table while reaching for the falling pen and hits me in my mouth. If I have a history of steroids I guess I might get confrontational.

Thanks for making another argument showing me I'm right. :p

[Ksyrup]

Ok, Lets break this down in everyday person terms..


If someone came to your work.. reached over your cubicle wall and smacked you in the face..what would you do?

What if he said he was reaching for a pen/donut/whatever?
If that happened, quite obviously I would puff my chest out, strut confidently and menacingly toward the (potentially) accidental offender, and threaten to eat his children, before I attempted to ascertain what happened. That's a no-brainer.

Of course, if I was finishing an important email, I would probably hit "send" before doing the above. :p

[TRO]

What I saw:

Fans watching the runners but hanging out over the field. Arm accidentaly catches Sheffield on the jaw.

Sheffield watching the ball doesn't know that it wasn't intentional, picks the ball up, angrily pushes the fan away.

When Sheffield pushes the fan away, girls sitting next to him jump back out of fright, they jump into another guy hitting his arm causing this fan to spill his beer on Sheffield.

After throwing the ball in, Sheffield thinks about jumping on the original fan but thinks twice about it. Security comes in and breaks everything up.

All in all, I think everything happened as well as could be expected from all parties.

[Ragone]

That guys beer was on the way out before the women hit him

[Huckleberry]

Anyone got a video link I can review? Can't play ESPN Motion at work. Going off of memory from last night.

[Ragone]

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20050415/capt.ny17504150219.yankees_red_sox_ny175.jpg


clearly the women hasn't bumped into the guy yet.. in this picture, and his wrist is turned forward.. if that lady was bumped into the guy.. his beer would be going away from the play.. not towards


still working on finding ya a video link though

[Huckleberry]

Thanks.

If the guy threw a beer at Sheffield, he should be arrested. But that's not the guy that hit Sheffield's mouth and that Sheffield puffed his chest at, so it doesn't change my perception of the main incident.

[Ragone]

Oh i know its not huckleberry.. i'm past that now.. i'm on to frying the beer dude :)

[Huckleberry]

Well, according to the FOFC California Contingent, you could just figure out some way to charge him in the State of Texas if you want him dead.

[Ragone]

Well, according to the FOFC California Contingent, you could just figure out some way to charge him in the State of Texas if you want him dead.


Well i imagine that beer was shipped through texas.. therefore it crossed into texas airspace.. giving them jurisdiction on the case!

[TRO]

From what I saw on the replays (can't quite see it from this picture) is that the lady's arm hit the top of his causing the spill. Certainly am not 100% convinced that is the case, just what I saw.

If he did throw it on Sheffield, he is the only one that I think intentionally did anything wrong. Sheffield and the "swinging fan" didn't do anything too out of the ordinary though neither were completely innocent.

[Ksyrup]

Well i imagine that beer was shipped through texas.. therefore it crossed into texas airspace.. giving them jurisdiction on the case!
Yes, but in that case, you're talking interstate commerce, so the ATF would get involved. Maybe another Waco.

[rkmsuf]

Sheffield is a fool for reacting like that. It was a total accident. I'm sure the guy was giving him lip but give me a break. He nicked the guys cap/face.

[moriarty]

What I saw:

Fans watching the runners but hanging out over the field. Arm accidentaly catches Sheffield on the jaw.

Sheffield watching the ball doesn't know that it wasn't intentional, picks the ball up, angrily pushes the fan away.

When Sheffield pushes the fan away, girls sitting next to him jump back out of fright, they jump into another guy hitting his arm causing this fan to spill his beer on Sheffield.

After throwing the ball in, Sheffield thinks about jumping on the original fan but thinks twice about it. Security comes in and breaks everything up.

All in all, I think everything happened as well as could be expected from all parties.

I completely agree with this assessment. Sheffield got hit (however minor it was) and had no idea if it was intentional or not as his head was down trying to field the ball. So I don't have a problem with him reacting the way he did. He probably should have never cocked his arm up for a punch, but at least he showed enough restraint not to throw it.

edit: except for the beer throwing part ....

[Ragone]

Yes, but in that case, you're talking interstate commerce, so the ATF would get involved. Maybe another Waco.

You are right.. crossing a state line would give it federal jurisdiction.. damn

[Jon]

In the replay I saw in slo mo (thank goodness for Tivo), the guy next to the lady chucked his beer onto Sheffield before the lady next to him hit it.

As for the uppercut, Sheffield was restrained and the fan should've been ejected for interfering (but not arrested). He interfered.

[Wolfpack]

I've never seen the play in motion and far be it for me to defend the actions of a Yankee, but I don't think we can make some sort of apples-to-apples comparison to something in our own lives. Yankees-Red Sox is already insanely hyped and the dislike between the two fan bases is papable. Sheffield is the visiting player in a game that has implications, even in April, for who may be in the playoffs come October. Add to that, he's trying to go about his business and make a play. Out of nowhere (whether intentional or not), he gets hit by a hand to the face. He's already trying to chase down a ball to get it back to the infield in the midst of a game where you know the fans have been razzing him because he's one of the hated Yankees. Suddenly, he gets popped in the face. Do you think he would take a moment to figure out the precise details of how that happened? Or, do you think he instinctively needs to defend himself because he has absolutely no idea what happened and wouldn't believe a Sox fan wouldn't do something malicious to him? I think his reaction is entirely understandable given where he was and what he was trying to do. Later on, after the game is over, he could probably further assess and decide better what had happened, but in that moment, he had no idea and had to believe the worst of the situation.

[Maple Leafs]

I think the whole thing is overblown, including the criticism of Sheffield. End of the day, he could have been stupid and escalated it and for the most part he didn't.

That said, to me the highlight of the whole exchange is still:

Sheffield: (Moves menancingly towards fan, perhaps uttering threats, and cocks his fist like he's ready to swing at him.)
Fan: (No reaction whatsoever.)

[Blackadar]

This is what I saw...

Fans watching the runners and sees Sheffield coming. Probably tries to interfere with Sheffield - but it wasn't a punch. Maybe more like a bump.

Sheffield watching the ball doesn't know that it wasn't intentional, picks the ball up, angrily pushes the fan away.

When Sheffield pushes the fan away, beer guy sees Sheffield attack fan and tosses beer on Sheffield. It's very questionable as to wether it spilled or he was nudged and it spilled.

After throwing the ball in, Sheffield thinks about jumping on the original fan but thinks twice about it. Security comes in and breaks everything up.

Sheffield - Grade "A". Good restraint.
Beer Fan - Grade "D". Poor beer control - if it was a beer toss, it was very feeble.
Interference Fan - Grade "D-". Damn, he has a big mouth.
Red Sox Security - Grade "B". Nice job getting there fast.
ESPN - Grade "F". Mountain/molehill.

[rkmsuf]

I'm not sure Sheffield deserves an A. I mean make the play and throw the ball before you decide to go after the guy.

Also he should get his story straight. According to everything he said he was hit in the mouth, lip, cheek, forehead, head and chin.

I'm in agreement though on mountain/molehill thing.

[CentralMassHokie]

This is a complete "mountain out of a molehill" situation, but even as a Sox fan, I think Sheffield was pretty much in the clear.

To me, it looked like the fan in question was trying to distract or knock Sheffield's hat off. There's a great view of things from the RF grandstand camera in the MLB.com video (maybe 2:30-2:40 in). The fan follows Sheffield around to the ball, makes that lame-ass swipe at Sheffield while turning his head as if trying to pretend he's not doing anything, and then takes a big step back (before Sheffield has moved) when he realizes he grazed/whacked Sheffield in the head. I'm not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt since he reached into the field of play, which combined with his reaction to the situation makes me think it was a drunken attempt at being a tough guy Sox fan gone wrong.

He's a season ticket holder, so I'm hoping the Sox revoke his tickets, just for reaching into the field of play. That's my pet peeve at Fenway -- more often than not, dumbasses turn a triple into a double, or take a run of the board by interfering. I think anyone who even attempts to touch a live ball should be immediately removed from the stadium.

It's tougher to tell about the beer that gets tossed, whether it's someone who dropped it when moving backwards from the fray, or someone who intentionally tossed it. But I think the intent of the "fan" was obviously not to snag the ball (since he missed it by about 5 feet), but instead to interfere visually or physically with Sheffield.

[ISiddiqui]

I'm a Yankee hater if there was one, but Sheff didn't do anything wrong (maybe except that he should have thrown the ball in first). His reaction was completely understandable.

[Swaggs]

To me, it looked like the fan in question was trying to distract or knock Sheffield's hat off. There's a great view of things from the RF grandstand camera in the MLB.com video (maybe 2:30-2:40 in).


I think the same thing about the fan. He looks like he was trying to flip Sheffield's cap off his head, because his arm is obviously nowhere near the ground (where the ball is) and he swung it upwards, but his drunken motor skills probably failed him.

[SirFozzie]

Sheffroid overreacted.

"I got hit in the mouth. I got hit in the face. I got hit in the Chin. he busted upon my lip..."

Make up your frigging mind.

Fan=wrong for reaching over..

but Sheffield is more at fault for his roid rage.

[Galaril]

As a sox fan I still got to say it looked like the fan was not intentionally trying to hit Sheffield but get his hand out of the way. However, he was total in the wrong and Sheff had every right to be a little pissed. I mean look at the situation his team just gave up a 3 run triple to break aninth inning tie against it's most hated rival and then this. The background of the fan Chris House is rather colorful. He seems to of been a division 3 football coach at a small college in Mass, Curry College a few years back and is had some trouble with overly agressiveness there. He is also the holder of 7 season tickets(Wow).I came across this information at the RedSox fan board Dirt Dogs :

quote:
While some friendly House calls are rolling into WEEI to defend their friend, season ticket holders are also calling in with damaging tales regarding the seven-ticket season ticket holders and former Curry College football coach's trouble making, fight picking, and excessive drinking in the section. One ticket holder chimes in to Dale and Holley: "one of them passed out during Opening Day, another one fell on the stairs getting up. It's up and down every inning, two beers. Last summer when I went, and I'm afraid now to give them (my tickets) to clients because I don't want families going out there to be abused by these guys. The language got so bad on opening day, it became racial at the end, sorry Mike (Holley), it's a disgrace. They stack the beers up. My 12 and 14 year old daughters said last year during one Yankees game said "hey dad, they've got 16 cups stacked up" and it's just not appropriate... I've sent an email to the Red Sox, letting them know what's going on. I, as a business owner, my partner and I, we're afraid to give tickets to clients to bring their kids in there to be subjected to this abuse. I don't know what the intention of the individual was last night, but I know it was alcohol induced... What's going on out there is that those guys are buddies, and they are half in the wrapper before they get in the park. They're not true fans, they're there to just have a boys night out (Dale: It's a club with a $30 cover charge.) Exactly... I cannot subject my daughters to the language and the drinking. My point is if I go and have 3 or 4 beers during the game, have 3-4 hot dogs, whatever, and I'm not stacking 16 cups up. And it's 16 cups for one guy. It's like he's saying 'hey, look at me, I drank 16 beers and watch me stumble out of here'... and it's these same guys."

[Galaril]

As a sox fan I still got to say it looked like the fan was not intentionally trying to hit Sheffield but get his hand out of the way. However, he was total in the wrong and Sheff had every right to be a little pissed. I mean look at the situation his team just gave up a 3 run triple to break aninth inning tie against it's most hated rival and then this. The background of the fan Chris House is rather colorful. He seems to of been a division 3 football coach at a small college in Mass, Curry College a few years back and is had some trouble with overly agressiveness there. He is also the holder of 7 season tickets(Wow).I came across this information at the RedSox fan board Dirt Dogs :

quote:
While some friendly House calls are rolling into WEEI to defend their friend, season ticket holders are also calling in with damaging tales regarding the seven-ticket season ticket holders and former Curry College football coach's trouble making, fight picking, and excessive drinking in the section. One ticket holder chimes in to Dale and Holley: "one of them passed out during Opening Day, another one fell on the stairs getting up. It's up and down every inning, two beers. Last summer when I went, and I'm afraid now to give them (my tickets) to clients because I don't want families going out there to be abused by these guys. The language got so bad on opening day, it became racial at the end, sorry Mike (Holley), it's a disgrace. They stack the beers up. My 12 and 14 year old daughters said last year during one Yankees game said "hey dad, they've got 16 cups stacked up" and it's just not appropriate... I've sent an email to the Red Sox, letting them know what's going on. I, as a business owner, my partner and I, we're afraid to give tickets to clients to bring their kids in there to be subjected to this abuse. I don't know what the intention of the individual was last night, but I know it was alcohol induced... What's going on out there is that those guys are buddies, and they are half in the wrapper before they get in the park. They're not true fans, they're there to just have a boys night out (Dale: It's a club with a $30 cover charge.) Exactly... I cannot subject my daughters to the language and the drinking. My point is if I go and have 3 or 4 beers during the game, have 3-4 hot dogs, whatever, and I'm not stacking 16 cups up. And it's 16 cups for one guy. It's like he's saying 'hey, look at me, I drank 16 beers and watch me stumble out of here'... and it's these same guys."

This all gets me to my point. When are we going to start to do something about these a-holes at major sporting events and hammered and screwing up all the fun for the 99% of well behaving fans. I mean I like to have a couple of beers but 16! I have to think if I really should take my children to a game because of some drunk shouting profanity and starting fights in the stands.

[Ragone]

Thats exactly my point galaril.. the first step should be cutting people off at say the 5th inning.. then the next step is just not serving alcohol at all..


Baseball is one of the better sports to see live, but one of the worst to attend live. Think about it

[Bearcat729]

Acting according to policy, Red Sox revoke tickets
Associated Press



BOSTON -- The spectator who interfered with New York Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield had his season tickets for 2005 revoked Monday by the Boston Red Sox.

A fan who spilled beer on Sheffield was prohibited from buying tickets for the rest of the season.

Boston acted after a four-day investigation following the play last Thursday night at Fenway Park in which Sheffield was chasing a ball along the low right-field wall that Jason Varitek hit for a triple.

"Given our ballpark's intimacy, we will be vigilant in maintaining Fenway Park's comfortable atmosphere," said Red Sox director of security Charlie Cellucci. "But interfering with opposing players fielding a ball in play is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

The season ticket holder, Chris House, reached over the three-foot high fence, and Sheffield said he was struck in the face. Sheffield picked up the ball, pushed House, then threw the ball to the infield. Sheffield turned toward House but did not make contact with him again as a security guard jumped over the wall and stood between House and Sheffield.

Major league baseball also is investigating. The name of the other spectator has not been released.

Boston said House would receive full reimbursement when he returns his 2005 tickets. The club said it will consider reinstating his tickets after this season.

The Red Sox cited the season ticket agreement, which states that "interfering with the play of the game in any way will not be tolerated and will be grounds for ejection from the premises, legal prosecution, recission of tickets and cancellation of subscription privileges."

[Galaril]

Acting according to policy, Red Sox revoke tickets
Associated Press



BOSTON -- The spectator who interfered with New York Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield had his season tickets for 2005 revoked Monday by the Boston Red Sox.

A fan who spilled beer on Sheffield was prohibited from buying tickets for the rest of the season.

Boston acted after a four-day investigation following the play last Thursday night at Fenway Park in which Sheffield was chasing a ball along the low right-field wall that Jason Varitek hit for a triple.

"Given our ballpark's intimacy, we will be vigilant in maintaining Fenway Park's comfortable atmosphere," said Red Sox director of security Charlie Cellucci. "But interfering with opposing players fielding a ball in play is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

The season ticket holder, Chris House, reached over the three-foot high fence, and Sheffield said he was struck in the face. Sheffield picked up the ball, pushed House, then threw the ball to the infield. Sheffield turned toward House but did not make contact with him again as a security guard jumped over the wall and stood between House and Sheffield.

Major league baseball also is investigating. The name of the other spectator has not been released.

Boston said House would receive full reimbursement when he returns his 2005 tickets. The club said it will consider reinstating his tickets after this season.

The Red Sox cited the season ticket agreement, which states that "interfering with the play of the game in any way will not be tolerated and will be grounds for ejection from the premises, legal prosecution, recission of tickets and cancellation of subscription privileges."



Justice :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Ksyrup]

Crimes and misdemeanors

Police seek charges against fans in Sheffield scuffle

Posted: Tuesday April 19, 2005 6:22PM; Updated: Tuesday April 19, 2005 8:41PM

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=310 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>http://i.cnn.net/si/images/1.gif</TD><TD class=cnnImgAdPad width=300>http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/baseball/mlb/04/19/sheffield.scuffle.ap/p1.sheffield.scuffle.ap.jpg
Gary Sheffield could find out soon if he'll also be punished for his role in the confrontation.
AP


</TD></TR><TR><TD width=10>http://i.cnn.net/si/images/1.gif</TD><TD width=300><TABLE class=cnnIEbox cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=center><TD class=cnnIEtitleSq width=22>http://i.cnn.net/si/images/1.gif</TD><TD class=cnnIEtitle width="99%">RELATED</TD></TR><TR><TD class=cnnIEcontent colSpan=2>• Red Sox revoke season tickets from fan (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/04/18/boston.fan/)

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD width=10>http://i.cnn.net/si/images/1.gif</TD><TD class=cnnStoryCLpad>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>BOSTON (AP) -- New York outfielder Gary Sheffield (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/4268) isn't sure whether he wants to press charges against two fans who were involved in a scuffle with him during a game last week at Fenway Park. Boston police already have made up their minds to do just that.

Sheffield met Tuesday with officials from the baseball commissioner's office, and Boston police filed applications for misdemeanor criminal charges against the two fans -- one allegedly made contact with the outfielder as he attempted to get the ball near the right-field wall and the other tossed a beer at him.

A decision on possible discipline by the commissioner's office against Sheffield was not expected until Wednesday at the earliest.

Police asked a clerk magistrate to decide whether a disorderly conduct charge is warranted against the fans, according to Officer John Boyle, a department spokesman.

Boyle wouldn't identify the two fans, but Red Sox (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/red_sox) officials have revoked season tickets from Christopher House, a Bostonian who appeared to make contact with Sheffield while he was chasing down a ball in the right-field corner of Fenway Park.

The team also banned a fan who spilled beer on Sheffield from buying tickets this season. The Red Sox did not release the fan's name.

The charge, being a disorderly person and disturbing a public assembly, is a misdemeanor.

"I just want to see it played out first. I'm not going to make any judgments first," Sheffield said in New York after meeting with Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, an attorney for Major League Baseball, Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost and Sheffield's agent, Rufus Williams.

The meeting lasted 20 minutes and the men watched the replay about five times.

"[They asked] What was my reaction? What was I thinking? And I told them what I was thinking," Sheffield said.

He credited a meeting in spring training where players were told how to react in certain situations -- with an emphasis on avoiding interactions with fans.

"It was more emphasized after the NBA," he said, referring to the brawl between Detroit Pistons fans and members of the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 19.

Sheffield was satisfied that baseball understood "that I listened to the meeting we had in spring training and I set the example for others."

It wasn't immediately clear whether court officials at Boston Municipal Court have scheduled a date for a hearing for House and the other fan. If a clerk magistrate decides that criminal charges are warranted, the two fans would appear before a judge.

House, in a statement issued Monday through his attorney, David T. Norton, said he had "no intention" of striking Sheffield and that he does not believe he made contact with the outfielder. Sheffield said he was hit in the face.

A message left at Norton's office was not returned Tuesday.

Of House's statement, Sheffield said: "He has the right to feel the way he feels and I have the tight to feel the way I feel."

On the play in question last Thursday, Sheffield was running along the 3-foot high right-field fence, chasing a hit by Boston's Jason Varitek (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5921), when House reached over it with a sweeping motion and appeared to make contact with the player.

Sheffield picked up the ball, made a shoving motion toward House, then threw the ball to the infield. He then turned toward House but did not touch him. A security guard jumped over the wall and stood between House and Sheffield.

Sheffield said the first time he saw the beer thrown was at Tuesday's meeting. He did not think the team's discipline against the alleged beer-thrower was sufficient.

"He'll just have his friend go buy [tickets]. I don't think it's stiff enough," he said.