New York – The fan who hit the left fielder Alex Verdugo, Boston Red Sox, has been banned for life from attending major league games after a baseball was thrown from the stand at Yankee Stadium.
Spokesmen for the New York Yankees and Major Leagues confirmed the decision Sunday.
In the sixth inning on Saturday night Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled his team briefly off the field, with Verdogo hitting the back of the net with a ball thrown from the left side. He did not appear to be injured.
An angry executive shouted at the fans and the game was stopped when it was raining first base coach Tom Goodwin. The fan was kicked off the field.
“The Yankees appreciate the spirit and enthusiasm of our fans in our various matches, especially the Red Sox, for their irresponsible, erratic and dangerous behavior, endangering the safety of players, field staff or other fans,” Yankees said in a statement Sunday.
“There is absolutely no room for this in Yankee Stadium. The safety of everyone in Yankee Stadium, including guests on the stand and on the field, will always be a priority for the Yankees organization every time we open. Our doors.”
Vertugo threw the ball to a young Red Sox fan on the stand, but a Yankees fan blocked it and threw it on the field, attacking the outfielder.
“It was horrible, shameful, unacceptable,” New York manager Aaron Boone later said.
Verdugo returned to the left field when the game resumed after an argument with the umpires near Boston Garden.
“It felt like it was being directed at me and it didn’t fit me,” he said.
New York won the game 3-1 after six innings due to heavy rain.
NJ.com reported on Sunday that the fan had not been arrested.
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