CDIH

I cannot believe this.


Associated Press
BOSTON -- Boston police say they plan to charge two New York Yankees players with assault and battery after an incident in the Yankees bullpen tonight.


Police spokesman Michael McCarthy didn't release the names of the two players.

McCarthy says a man who was seen in the bullpen in the ninth inning of the Yankees 4-to-3 playoff win over the Red Sox was a Fenway Park employee and that he was the victim of the assault.

New York reliever Jeff Nelson fought with a Fenway Park employee in the Yankees' bullpen in the ninth inning of the AL championship series Saturday night.

With tempers already high following a bench-clearing melee earlier in the game, Nelson took exception to Paul Williams, who was waving a white flag in the bullpen in the ninth inning. The reliever told Williams he didn't like it, and the two started to fight.

"He was standing in our bullpen waving the rally flag," Nelson said following New York's 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the AL championship series.

"I told him if you're rooting for the Red Sox, why don't you go in their bullpen," Nelson said. "He jumped in my face and tried to take a swing at me."

A number of Yankees surrounded Williams, who appeared to be wearing a Red Sox grounds crew shirt, before he was escorted out the back by police. Right fielder Karim Garcia, who apparently leaped over the fence and got involved in the fight, appeared to injure his left hand. He was removed from the game before the bottom of the ninth started, and was taken to the training room with the hand wrapped.

Williams had been waving the flag a few innings earlier when Boston was trying to come back.

Red Sox spokesman Kevin Shea confirmed that Williams is an employee of the team.

McCarthy said Williams "is going to be a dealt with internally, I think." McCarthy also said he didn't think the man was arrested.

Nelson said Williams was the same employee who yelled at the Yankees' dugout during Game 4 of the ALCS in 1999 when a number of fans threw water bottles on the field following a controversial call.

"After a while, we started to remember that," Nelson said.

During that game, fans threw things on the field in the right-field corner after a pair of calls went against the Red Sox. Many members of the Yankees were on the top step of the dugout when that occurred.

"What disturbs me most is the lawless attitude here and the total lack of security," Yankees president Randy Levine said. "Just the fact that an employee jumped in, he should be prosecuted."

I don't get - if he swung first, how are the Yanks getting charged?

Steinbrenner will be off the wall tomorrow. The guy jumped in the bullpen. He deserved it.

Teenweek Wrote:Steinbrenner will be off the wall tomorrow. The guy jumped in the bullpen. He deserved it.

But Zimmer didn't?

the guy didn't jump in the pen, he worked there - but he shouldve been working and not starting trouble.

The two players were supposed to be Nelson & Karim Garcia but I heard on the news that this story was false and no one was charged but that charges might be brought tomorow but not likely.

Maybe I misheard it.

it said, ap, it HAS to be true.

the guy left with cleat marks on his face and his back.

Jeff Nelson is classy. Pedro isn't.

Quote:Jeff Nelson is classy. Pedro isn't.

well duh, he's a yankee, so being classy is implied

Pish Posh he's still tryin to shake all the violence he was taught in Seattle, they sullied him.

Quote:Police are looking for witnesses to a fight between two Yankees and a Fenway Park worker in the New York bullpen during Game 3 of the AL championship series before deciding whether to file charges.

``They're looking for people to come forward,'' officer Michael McCarthy, a police spokesman, said Sunday.

Grounds crew worker Paul Williams and Red Sox officials contend Yankees pitcher Jeff Nelson and outfielder Karim Garcia attacked Williams during the ninth inning Saturday night.

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The Yankees denied the players were to blame.

With tempers already high following a bench-clearing melee earlier in the game, Nelson was annoyed that Williams was cheering for the Red Sox while he was in the New York bullpen.

``He was standing in our bullpen waving the rally flag,'' the reliever said, following New York's 4-3 win. ``I told him, 'If you're rooting for the Red Sox, why don't you go in their bullpen.' He jumped in my face and tried to take a swing at me.''

Police spokeswoman Mariellen Burns had said Saturday that assault charges could be filed against the two players.

Police refused Sunday to release their report on what happened. It isn't clear how long the investigation would take, McCarthy said.

After Nelson confronted Williams, several Yankees surrounded him. Garcia, the right fielder, jumped over the fence and hurt his left hand. He was removed from the game with the hand wrapped.

Williams had cleat marks on his back and his arm, Red Sox spokesman Charles Steinberg said.

Williams was wearing a neck brace when he left the hospital Sunday morning. A hospital spokeswoman wouldn't release details of his injuries.

Williams acknowledged pumping his fist twice while holding a white towel, Steinberg said.

``If that was in poor taste, or poor judgment, it certainly didn't warrant a beating,'' Steinberg said.

The Yankees demanded an apology from the Red Sox.

``The events of the entire day were disgraceful and shameful, and if it happened at our ballpark, we would apologize, and that's what the Red Sox should do here,'' president Randy Levine said.

Teenweek Wrote:it said, ap, it HAS to be true.

this is from the Bergen Record:

Quote:The Associated Press reported that two Yankee players might be charged with assault, although a club spokesman claimed the report was untrue."The Red Sox are terribly concerned about this attack," said Red Sox' vice president Charles Steinberg. "We will be asking for a full investigation and the two police officers who were in the bullpen were witnesses and have the right to file a report."

Edited By PeterDragon on 1065997136