BALTIMORE – Major League Baseball has to slap Gary Sheffield with its left hand while shaking the right hand that fisted, cocked and didn’t fire.
In the nick of time, the Yankees’ right fielder thought better of the haymaker he was poised to land, and probably has the next 30 games uninterrupted to thank for that, in addition to Major League Baseball’s gratitude, too.
“I think Gary showed considerable restraint,” said Mike Stanton, who in 16 seasons has seen it all and heard much worse and undoubtedly will again, a reason why baseball can’t let this go completely.
Whether Sheffield made contact or not with the fan who smacked him on the lip while he reached for Jason Varitek’s eighth-inning triple, he did go at him. So as baseball exhales at its close call, it has to blow at least a little steam Sheffield’s way. Two games, one of them virtually certain to disappear on obligatory appeal, would reiterate the very necessary message that you’ve gotta walk away, clean, the first time. Sheffield didn’t do that. He didn’t even throw the ball before he threw his arms in the direction of fan Chris House, who should go to The Big House for a night or two, too, to make generally the same point.
Derek Jeter yesterday called the Red Sox fan “an idiot,” and no cries of defamation were heard yesterday from the Idiots of America, a proud group that occupies too many seats in too many stadiums and gets away with too much because too many people seated nearby tolerate them.
The very fact that what comes out of the stands is getting meaner and more profane is all the more reason MLB disciplinarian Bob Watson can’t just congratulate Sheffield on his better judgment on the brink of disaster, then call it a good day for baseball.
It’s a better day for baseball – no headlines, no video over and over again – if Sheffield simply throws the ball to the relay man, then calls over the umpire, who alerts security, which throws the rascal out. The fact that we are not sure ourselves we could have done that makes it no less the correct thing to do.
Sheffield, asked yesterday if he would do anything differently, said, “You never know what you are going to do; just try to represent the game the right way and be professional on the field and hope the fans do the same.”
Asked if he was certain the fan meant to hit him, wasn’t just trying to go for the ball, Sheffield said, “You’ve gotta look at the tape. I can’t try to convince you one way or the other; just try to go out there and play a baseball game.
“I said what I said last night. I didn’t see the tape then. Seeing it today, I hold my opinion to myself and let my people handle it.”
He’s almost as smart to hold that opinion to himself as he was to not throw that punch that would have given the game a black eye and done nothing for Sheffield’s image, too, one that he has improved significantly over the past few years.
“That’s part of what makes it fun,” he said about interacting with the fans. “You try to do something and then come back out there and see if they still have something to say.”
Sheffield doubled off the Green Monster in the ninth. That should have been Sheffield’s only answer. If that sounds unrealistic, if that sounds like a guy who grew up in the suburbs talking, if this reads like we’re making a point just to make a point, that’s exactly what baseball must do, to keep itself fan-friendly, because increasingly many of them are not.
EVEN IN NEW YORK
Boston is not alone in the annals of player-fan altercations. Here’s a look at some that have occurred right here:
Sept.10,1961:At Yankee Stadium, Indians center fielder Jimmy Piersall is attacked by two fans from right-field stands.Piersall punched and kicked them until police came to his aid.
Oct.8,1973: At Shea Stadium, after brawl between Bud Harrelson and Reds ‘ Pete Rose,,fans throw bottles and garbage at Rose in left field.Willie Mays, Tom Seaver,Yogi Berra and Cleon Jones calm fans to prevent forfeit.
Dec.23,1979: At Madison Square Garden, Bruins ‘ Stan Jonathan is hit in face by object thrown by fan.Several
Boston players enter stands to fight with fans;Mike Milbury hits one with shoe.
Aug.27,1986: At Yankee Stadium, Angels ‘ Wally Joyner is hit by knife thrown from upper deck.
Dec.23,1995: At Giants Stadium, fans hurl snowballs at Chargers sideline;one knocks out equipment manager Sid Brooks.
Oct.19,2004: At Yankee Stadium, fans throw trash on field to protest Alex Rodriguez called out for interfering with Red Sox ‘s Bronson Arroyo.