| Players Behaving Badly.com Gary Sheffield Hit by Fan |
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Gary Sheffield at Fenway
Sheffield had a lot of restraint in this instance and did not hit the fan back.
It appears that his reaction was to hit back, but he thought better and did
not.
Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's triple along the right field fence when
a fan swung a short uppercut in his direction, appearing to graze the side of
the slugger's face with his right arm.
"Something hit me in the mouth. It felt like a hand," Sheffield said. "I thought
my lip was busted."
After Sheffield picked up the ball, he shoved the fan before throwing the ball
back to the infield as two runs scored. Another fan's beer also sprayed in
Sheffield's direction.
"I tried to get his hand out of my face so I could continue on with the play,"
he said. "To get punched in the mouth, you don't expect that in a baseball
game."
Sheffield then whirled around with a cocked fist, shouting in the face of the
first man, but restrained himself and did not throw a punch. A security
official quickly jumped over the three foot wall to separate the two.
"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," Sheffield said. "I
almost snapped, but I thought about the consequences."
The fan was ejected from the ballpark, but he was not arrested.
"I guess there's always one idiot in the stands," New York captain Derek
Jeter said.
It appears that his reaction was to hit back, but he thought better and did
not.
Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's triple along the right field fence when
a fan swung a short uppercut in his direction, appearing to graze the side of
the slugger's face with his right arm.
"Something hit me in the mouth. It felt like a hand," Sheffield said. "I thought
my lip was busted."
After Sheffield picked up the ball, he shoved the fan before throwing the ball
back to the infield as two runs scored. Another fan's beer also sprayed in
Sheffield's direction.
"I tried to get his hand out of my face so I could continue on with the play,"
he said. "To get punched in the mouth, you don't expect that in a baseball
game."
Sheffield then whirled around with a cocked fist, shouting in the face of the
first man, but restrained himself and did not throw a punch. A security
official quickly jumped over the three foot wall to separate the two.
"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," Sheffield said. "I
almost snapped, but I thought about the consequences."
The fan was ejected from the ballpark, but he was not arrested.
"I guess there's always one idiot in the stands," New York captain Derek
Jeter said.
