A spectator at Fenway Park in Boston took to the field and interrupted the game during last night's Red Sox-Yankees rubber match. With the game still tied 1-1 at the bottom of the 7th inning, Boston first baseman Eric Hinske was leading off for the Sox and was the first batter to face pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who relieved Roger Clemens. Hinske managed a double to left field after facing a full count at the plate and was practically chased to second base by an idiot who leapt to the field and raced to high-five the Boston baserunner.
Boston radio announcers said that Hinske pointedly turned his back to the young man and refused to acknowledge him. Left hanging, the on-field interloper decided to grab the hat off of Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano's head. Donning the Yankees cap (which would seem antithetical to a Boston fan's turn in the moronic spotlight), the unwelcome intruder galloped around the field for a few seconds before being tackled by Fenway security.
The man who ran onto the field was escorted off and Cano's hat was returned before Boston's Coco Crisp stepped to the plate, but the hat-grabber likely had to spend the night in jail and will face a sizable fine. In 2002 in Chicago, Kansas City first base coach Tom Gamboa was tackled by two fans during a game. Although he escaped with just cuts and bruises, one of the men was carrying a knife. The Royals let the White Sox organization know that they would not be returning to Comiskey Park until they were satisfied that security had been increased. In 2005, our City Council passed a bill to give unruly fans jail time and up to $25,000 in fines.
Maybe the Boston spectator last night was imagining that he was Drew Barrymore in "Fever Pitch" and wanted to profess his love to Hinske, no matter the cost. Regardless, we think he deserves a follow-up arrest by the fashion police for wearing white pants after Labor Day.
UPDATE: Our friends at Bostonist have more details about the incident. The culprit was a 20-year-old from Maine who was arrested by the Boston PD.
(Photos/AP)
