Posted on 05/15/2007 1:32:50 PM PDT by raccoonradio
A carpenter “trying to impress” his 7-year-old son by treating him to a Red Sox game he would never forget was instead busted in front of the boy by police and Fenway Park security when he stormed the field Sunday in the top of the ninth.
The Sox were trailing the Baltimore Orioles 5-0. But had Michael Baggott, 37, of East Haven, Conn., just sat tight, he’d have gotten his wish: the Sox staged a memorable comeback right after his stunt, rallying in the bottom of the ninth to clip the Birds, 6-5.
Baggott, who was off base in the eyes of the law, was whisked off the field, but “the people who stayed saw a pretty incredible finish,” Sox spokesman John Blake told the Herald last night.
Baggott pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of trespassing and disturbing a public assembly in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court and was released on personal recognizance.
Boston police Detective William Dunn, who arrested the bald, blue-eyed Baggott while on a paid detail at Fenway, said the determined dad “jumped onto and ran across the field while the game was in progress.”
The alleged incident happened at 5 p.m. Police said Baggott appeared to be bound for the Sox’ bullpen in the outfield.
In court papers, Dunn said Baggott - who was at least fully dressed in a blue T-shirt, black shorts and white sneakers - claimed “he was trying to impress his 7-year-old son, who was with him at the game.”
Baggott’s father was also said to be along for the outing.
Baggott did not return calls yesterday seeking comment.
The Sox’ security guidelines clearly state, “Any fan that directly or indirectly interferes with the enjoyment of the game will be promptly ejected from Fenway Park and may be subject to arrest and prosecution by the Boston police. The Boston Red Sox do not condone misbehavior of any kind.”
Blake said such antics are “fairly rare. Most fans, I think, are very respectful. If you go on the field, you’re arrested and immediately removed from the park. Then it becomes a police matter.
“You never like to see it,” Blake said, “but you act accordingly. You don’t want to put the players in danger. You don’t want to put fans in danger. You have to maintain order.”
Linda Bonitatibus of East Haven was still willing to go to bat for Baggott, calling her neighbor “a very, very nice man.”
Baggott is due back in court on June 27 for a pretrial hearing.
Dad got to miss the thrilling end of the game. I think in these cases, the offenders get to spend a night in jail and are fined $1,000.
Dad's 37, son is 7; who's more mature? who's the one that DIDN'T run onto the field...?
herald poll
What should happen to fans who jump onto the field at ball games?
37% — Just throw them out and let them go home.
63% — Throw them out of the park and throw the book at ’em.
Option three: Secret trap door behind home plate.
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_689135_South_Park_the_losing_edge.htm
Here son, hold my beer and watch this.
Now the kid knows for sure... his dad’s an a-hole.
Off his meds?
I am shocked that there was one Red Sox Fan at Fenway who was not Passed Out Drunk by the 9th Inning.
“the alleged incident”
alleged? come on! either it happened or it didn’t!
“The first obviously was when Perlozzo took Guthrie out of the game.”
Exactly...one out in the ninth, your catcher drops a pop-up, and you take out your pitcher(throwing a shut-out.)
Unbelievable.
My "jackass" experience at Fenway was about 20 years ago when a few friends and I thought it would be funny to throw a beach ball into the opposing teams bullpen at a pitcher warming up. So when one of those bleacher beach balls came our way, we grabbed it and tossed it into the bullpen. Within about three seconds, we have about a dozen blue-jacketed security people around us with walkie-talkies. We were damn lucky to just be escorted out of the ballpark.
He obviously traumatized the O’s bullpen. Sheeesh.
update from the Herald
Enthusiastic fan apologizes to Sox, son
By Laurel J. Sweet
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
It’s not the roar of 37,000 Red Sox fans or the clink of handcuffs Michael Baggott replays from his eclipsed moment in the sun at Fenway Park , but the look on his 7-year-old son Aerik’s face as police led his daddy from the field.
“When I looked up and saw the shock on his face . . . it was not the look I was hoping for,” a heartsick Baggott, 37, said yesterday about being arrested on Mother’s Day in front of his family. “He’s the one I hurt the most out of all this.
“My own father has grown to know I’m an idiot,” he said. “My son is now just realizing it.”
The self-employed carpenter from East Haven, Conn., facing trespass and disturbance charges for conduct unbecoming a citizen of Red Sox Nation, said he took Aerik to his first BoSox game Sunday hoping to cure him of the Yankees fever overtaking the boy’s buddies.
But it was the middle of the ninth inning and the home team was trailing the Baltimore Orioles 5-0. Baggott, whose brood, including wife, Valerie, and father, Jim, was in the right-field bleachers, takes it from there.
“I said to my wife, ‘People are leaving already. The game’s not over.’ It’s like they were giving up on them. I had the impulse to run through the outfield with a (Sox) flag - just run a couple circles and climb back (to my seat). I want (Aerik) to learn how to be a team player, to have team spirit.”
And so Baggott made his leap of faith on behalf of those fans who’d already lost theirs, landing first in the Birds’ bullpen and then onward to the playing field.
“I’m a Boston fan, 100 percent,” Baggott said, “but it was a very, very dumb thing to do. I’d like to apologize to the fans, to the Red Sox and the Orioles. I didn’t mean to disrespect anybody.”
It wasn’t entirely for nothing. An Orioles player gave Aerik back his father’s flag, plus a baseball, and the Sox remarkably rallied to win, 6-5. But neither Baggott nor his family were there to see it.
“I shouldn’t have done it, but I didn’t have the wrong intentions,” said Baggott, whose first call after being released from jail was to his son.
“I told him I was trying to talk to one of the players and he didn’t like it,” Baggott said. “(Aerik) said, ‘OK, Dad, I understand.’ I’m going to have to credit him one.”
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