| | BOSTON -- After a close call against Boston brought a shower
of debris in the ninth inning, umpires cleared the field for eight
minutes Sunday night in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series.
"That's not very good sportsmanlike conduct from the fans,"
Boston first baseman Mike Stanley said. "We're sorry for the way
we acted, that's not right. Not right at all."
|  | | Boston police guard the Yankee dugout from rowdy Boston fans during the ninth inning. |
The sellout crowd of 33,586 already was angry, having seen
second-base umpire Tim Tschida call out Jose Offerman in the eighth
inning -- replays indicated second baseman Chuck Knoblauch missed
the tag.
"No, I didn't make the right call," Tschida said, the second
time in this series an ump admitted blowing a call against Boston.
Then, after pinch-hitter Ricky Ledee's grand slam in the top of
the ninth broke it open and gave the Yankees a 9-2 lead, the real
trouble began.
Nomar Garciaparra opened the bottom half with a grounder to
third baseman Scott Brosius, and was called out by first-base
umpire Dale Scott on a bang-bang play.
Red Sox manager Jimy Williams ran on the field to argue, and
threw his hat. Williams was ejected, and the fans went crazy.
Williams did not comment on the incident.
"Their manager was getting my vote for manager of the year
until tonight," said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, seated in
a front-row box. "He incited it."
At first, a few plastic water bottles were thrown on the field.
Glass bottles followed, with several of them barely missing Scott's
head.
With security personnel rushing on the field, first baseman Tino
Martinez and other Yankees also had to duck flying objects as they
went scurrying for cover in the third-base dugout. New York
relievers also ran out of the right-field bullpen as umpires waved
them off the field.
At one point, there appeared to be a yelling match between a Red
Sox security person and Yankees pitcher Jeff Nelson in the dugout.
"Jimy Williams, if he incited the crowd, that was not his
intention," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
"The sad part about it is you have a team -- the Boston Red Sox -- that has given this city something to be proud about. To have
people throwing stuff, that's disgraceful," he said. "I know it's
not an indication of Boston, Mass. But that was a bad mark against
a very good team."
The crowd continued to chant profanities, and the public-address
announcer was forced to urge fans to halt, saying the Red Sox might
be forced to forfeit the game.
After the Yankees waited safely in their dugout, order was
restored and the game resumed.
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ALSO SEE
Yankees take commanding lead with 9-2 victory
Yankees vs. Red Sox series page
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