...Sheffield was fielding Jason Varitek's two-run triple along the right-field fence in the eighth inning of Boston's 8-5 victory Thursday night when a fan swung a short uppercut in his direction, appearing to graze the side of the slugger's face with his right arm.
"I just felt something hit me in the mouth," Sheffield said. "I don't know if he hit me or not, it felt like it. I thought my lip was busted."
After Sheffield picked up the ball, he shoved the fan before throwing the ball back to the infield. Another fan tossed a beer at Sheffield, who whirled around with a cocked fist but restrained himself.
He shouted in the face of the first man -- but did not throw a punch. A security official quickly jumped over the three-foot wall to separate the two.
"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," Sheffield said. "I almost snapped, but the thing is I thought about the consequences."
The fan was ejected from the ballpark but not arrested.
"It's just a baseball game," Sheffield said. "To get punched in the mouth, you don't expect that in a baseball game."
...After an intentional walk to David Ortiz, Varitek hit a ball down the right-field line that hugged the curved wall and led to all the trouble.
"We have to give Sheffield a lot of credit," Damon said, "for him to restrain himself the way he did."
http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/gamecenter/recap/MLB_20050414_NYY@BOS
"I just felt something hit me in the mouth," Sheffield said. "I don't know if he hit me or not, it felt like it. I thought my lip was busted."
After Sheffield picked up the ball, he shoved the fan before throwing the ball back to the infield. Another fan tossed a beer at Sheffield, who whirled around with a cocked fist but restrained himself.
He shouted in the face of the first man -- but did not throw a punch. A security official quickly jumped over the three-foot wall to separate the two.
"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," Sheffield said. "I almost snapped, but the thing is I thought about the consequences."
The fan was ejected from the ballpark but not arrested.
"It's just a baseball game," Sheffield said. "To get punched in the mouth, you don't expect that in a baseball game."
...After an intentional walk to David Ortiz, Varitek hit a ball down the right-field line that hugged the curved wall and led to all the trouble.
"We have to give Sheffield a lot of credit," Damon said, "for him to restrain himself the way he did."
http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/gamecenter/recap/MLB_20050414_NYY@BOS