Sheffield scuffles with fan at Fenway

[movieguy]

Sheffield scuffles with fan at Fenway

Posted: Thursday April 14, 2005 10:14PM; Updated: Thursday April 14, 2005 11:04PM

BOSTON (AP) -- New York Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield got into a brief scuffle with a fan at Fenway Park during Thursday night's game against the Boston Red Sox.

Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's RBI triple along the right-field fence in the eighth inning when a fan swung a short uppercut in his direction and appeared to graze the side of the slugger's face with his right arm.

Sheffield picked up the ball, then shoved the fan before throwing the ball back into the infield as two runs scored. Sheffield then whirled around with a cocked fist, but restrained himself and began shouting in the man's face but did not throw a punch.

Another fan's beer was spilled in Sheffield's direction while he was shouting at the fan; however, it did not appear to be intentionally thrown.

A security official quickly jumped over the three-foot fence and into the stands to separate the two. As Sheffield walked away, he rubbed the side of his face and then looked at his hand.

Players and more security officials gathered in the area but order was soon restored. It wasn't immediately clear if the fan was taken from the stands.

On Nov. 19, players and fans exchanged punches in the stands near the end of a Pacers-Pistons game in one of the worst brawls in NBA history. The mayhem left several people injured and prompted a police investigation.

On Sept. 13, Texas Rangers reliever Frank Francisco was arrested for throwing a chair that hit a woman and broke her nose during an altercation in Oakland.

During the 2003 American League Championship series, former New York Yankees players Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia allegedly assaulted a Fenway Park groundskeeper. Both agreed to probation in a plea deal.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

links