BASEBALL
BOSTON (AP) The Boston Red Sox permanently banned from Fenway Park a man they said used a racial slur toward another fan, a separate confrontation from the insults directed at Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones a night earlier but one the team says it is taking just as seriously.
One night after Jones spoke out about being called the N-word by a fan in the Fenway stands, rekindling the debate about the city’s mixed history of racial tolerance, the ballpark was the site of another racist encounter.
Calvin Hennick, a Boston resident bringing his son to his first Red Sox game as a present for his sixth birthday, wrote on Facebook and confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday night that a neighboring fan used a variant of the N-word when referring to the national anthem singer. Surprised, Hennick asked him to repeat it, and the other fan did.
Hennick summoned security and they ejected the other fan, whose name has not been released. Hennick said the man denied to security using a racial slur.
BOSTON (AP) – Major League Baseball is reviewing its security protocols in all 30 stadiums after Orioles outfielder Adam Jones complained of fans shouting racial slurs in Boston this week and other black players reacted by saying it’s a common reality when playing in several cities.
It’s not yet clear what changes might be made, but league officials are starting by figuring out how individual clubs handle fan issues and complaints.
All MLB teams have a mechanism for fans to alert security to issues, but individualized ballparks mean different protocols and practices in each stadium.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Vin Scully returned to Dodger Stadium, cracking jokes and telling stories as if he had never left.
Scully was back at the ballpark to become the 11th inductee into the Dodgers ring of honor prior to a game against the San Francisco Giants. Scully retired last year following his 67th season broadcasting the team’s games.
In a pregame ceremony, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts walked Scully toward left field, and the entire team followed. They watched as Tommy Lasorda and Sandy Koufax unveiled a microphone bearing Scully’s name, the only non-number in the ring.
Scully shares the honor with Jackie Robinson, Tommy Lasorda, Pee Wee Reese and Don Drysdale, among others.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Police are investigating after a woman attending a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium was struck by a stray bullet.
Police say the 34-year-old victim was inside the ballpark Tuesday during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers when she felt pain in her arm. She went to a first-aid station for treatment. A bullet was later found near her seat.
Police believe the bullet came from outside the stadium.
The Cardinals said in a statement that the organization is grateful no one was seriously injured. The statement says nothing is more important than the safety of fans.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – A judge presiding over the first appearance of a South Florida football player charged with sexual battery not only had harsh words for the athlete in court, but questioned whether new coach Charlie Strong is a good fit for the program.
Circuit Judge Margaret Taylor of Hillsborough County told defensive end LaDarrius Jackson during a hearing that she is a USF graduate who is ”embarrassed and ashamed” in the wake of two separate arrests involving members of the team since March.
Jackson, 22, was arrested late Monday after a female acquaintance said earlier in the day that he assaulted her in student housing. Jackson was removed from team activity after being charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment.
Another USF football player arrested in March, Hassan Childs, was dismissed from the squad after being charged with aggravated assault and possession of marijuana in March.
PRO BASKETBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former NBA player Brandon Roy was injured in a shooting while attending a party in Southern California over the weekend, authorities said.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Williams said Roy was one of four people shot in Compton on Saturday.
He said Roy and the three other victims were attending a party when two men walked up and opened fire without saying a word. Williams said all four victims were shot in the upper body but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting. No arrests have been made.
The 32-year-old Roy starred at Washington, where he was Pac-12 player of the year in 2006.
