The fan. Sheffield. The ball. The punch. The shove. The beer.
To us, it looked like the guy was trying to get the ball. The beer was spilled because someone was afraid they were going to be hit by Sheffield. He said he had beer thrown on him.
I have yet to see one of those slow motion shots, but it really looked like an accident to me. Did anyone else see it?
It did seem like the fan was making a half hearted attempt at the ball. Sheff just reacted to something hitting him in the face. I'm glad he was smart enough not to go into the stands.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Fans are ALWAYS trying to get those balls.
It annoys the hell out of me, because it takes away from the player's hit. As soon as it's touched by a fan, it becomes a ground-rule double. A hit like that, as it was last night, can be a triple. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I agree, Mack, but I do not think he tried to hit him. He was being a doofus, not an a**hole. The Yanks are sure making a stink about it, though. The season begins!
Boy, wouldn't this be a great time for Goo Boy to chime n and show his support of the Red Sox? I wonder where he is.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
That is true, that whole 'fans like that shouldn't be on the streets' comment made me laugh.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Where else can Boston fans go after being released from Arkham? It's not like it's safe to herd them into a stadium.
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
quote: Fans are ALWAYS trying to get those balls.
It annoys the hell out of me, because it takes away from the player's hit. As soon as it's touched by a fan, it becomes a ground-rule double. A hit like that, as it was last night, can be a triple.
[EDIT] I've got my mind in the gutter WAY too early this morning.
[ April 15, 2005, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: scottneb ]
Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :
We watched it on ESPN HD last night (woo!!), and all I took away from it was that Sheffield was awesome for not going into the stands. He shoved the hands away from him, but given what, at the least, he thought was happening, he showed refreshing restraint. Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Hmm, I see the fans actions being characterized by an uppercut, but from what I remember, I don't think he was even looking at Sheff at the time. You can watch it at ESPN.com I think.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
quote: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.''
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
quote:"We have to give Sheffield a lot of credit," Boston's Johnny Damon said, "for him to restrain himself the way he did."
Since when do we give people a lot of credit for almost punching a fan?
Heck -- I didn't even come close to punching anybody today -- where's my credit?
Posted by DavidR (Member # 7473) on :
Portabello,
I understand where you are coming from, but consider the current atmosphere of professional sports where fan-player interaction during games seem to result in violence more often then not. In the current atmosphere, holding out praise for players doing the right thing now will hopefully encourage other players to do the the right thing when they are in similar situations in the future. Similarly punishing them for doing the wrong thing, like happened with certain basketball players not so long ago, will hopefully discourage other players from repeating those mistakes. Of course it would be nice if everybody behaved respectfully of one another all the time, but unfortunately that doesn't happen these days.
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
quote:We watched it on ESPN HD last night (woo!!), and all I took away from it was that Sheffield was awesome for not going into the stands. He shoved the hands away from him, but given what, at the least, he thought was happening, he showed refreshing restraint.
That's what I thought, too, Zeug.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
On a ground rule double, do all players on base advance two bases automatically, or is it done like a walk, with runners only advancing if forced?
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
quote:The batter becomes a runner when...A fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands, or passes through, over or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to advance two bases
So, the runners get to advance 2 bases also.
Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :
quote:Heck -- I didn't even come close to punching anybody today -- where's my credit?
Did your day include random, jeering strangers taking a swipe at you and pouring beer on your head? While you were at work?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Thanks, Tick.
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
quote:Of course it would be nice if everybody behaved respectfully of one another all the time, but unfortunately that doesn't happen these days.
There is a huge gulf between just acting with disrespect and punching somebody.
quote:Did your day include random, jeering strangers taking a swipe at you and pouring beer on your head? While you were at work?
If I got paid what they do, I'd be fine with that.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
So with your current salary you might have slugged the guy? At what point is someone paid enough to get treated like that?
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
I suppose that's a personal choice. It's one that professional ball players have already made.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Now wait a second, Porter.
I think ball players' salaries are ridiculous, and I agree that one should not be rewarded for NOT hitting someone, generally speaking. But, no matter what they're getting paid, they should not have to take being beat on.
Let's review the incident (and I'm going based entirely on what I've heard on the radio and read online). The fan, for whatever reason(s) thwapped Sheffield in the face, and someone poured beer on his head. He had good reason to think he was under attack. And in the heat of game-play, his adrenaline was running high, blood pumping, etc.
It would have been excusably human -- if extremely unfortunate -- had he hit the guy. He did not do so.
This hardly makes him a hero, but it is a good thing, and does show some restraint on his part. Restraint which, I gather, the same player has not always shown in the past. Shouldn't it be encouraged?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"Did your day include random, jeering strangers taking a swipe at you and pouring beer on your head? While you were at work?"
Eeek. A boy in California killed another boy for jeering at him. It was such a sad story, all around. I think the more adults can show children how to hold their tempers, the better.
So, while I do not think the fan meant to gurt Sheffield, and Sheffield looked like he might hit the guy, the thing is, he didn't. So in a way, he showed that even though he was so very angry, he could still hold himself back. It is not the anger that is wrong, but the act of aggression.
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