Best E-mails of the Week 4/17/05.  

Is this a frog or a horse?

The New York version of  what happened:   A Front page NY Post story:

SLUGGER GOES AT BOSTON BUFFOON

April 15, 2005 -- Yankee outfielder Gary Sheffield last night lashed out at a Red Sox fan who took a cheap shot at him during another explosive battle between the Bombers and Boston at Fenway Park.

The bizarre incident occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning...

With two men on, Boston's Jason Varitek hit a ball deep to right, and Sheffield gave chase as it rolled along Fenway's 3-foot-high right-field fence. Several fans reached down to grab it — which spectators are not allowed to do if a ball is in fair territory — but one fan wearing a blue jacket and a Red Sox cap seemed less interested in the ball than in distracting Sheffield.

The Beantown buffoon — identified by the Boston Herald as Chris House — swung a short uppercut in Sheffield's direction, appearing to graze the side of the slugger's face with his right hand as Sheffield tried to pick up the ball.

When Sheffield got it, he turned to throw — went after House instead. Sheffield then quickly threw the ball back into the infield ...

Immediately after releasing the ball, Sheffield charged at House with a cocked fist — but restrained himself and limited his actions to only yelling.

Another fan's beer spilled in Sheffield's direction while he was rushing at House, but it did not appear to be intentional. A security guard who had been manning the Yankee bullpen quickly jumped into the stands to get between House and Sheffield.

After the game...Yankee manager Joe Torre called House's swing" a cheap shot."

"These people shouldn't be allowed to walk the streets, much less come to a ballgame," said the Yankee skipper.

And Sheffield defended himself in an impromptu press conference.

"It could have been worse if I didn't hold my composure," he said. "I didn't throw no punches or nothing. I just tried to point the guy out. To get punched in the mouth, you don't expect that at a baseball game."

Even Red Sox star Johnny Damon tipped his cap to his rival.

"I give Sheffield a lot of credit," Damon said. "For him to restrain himself took a lot of class." ..... etc.

Now the Boston Globe version tucked in as a small sports report:

Sheffield says he got hit in face

By Gordon Edes, Boston Globe Staff  |  April 15, 2005

New York Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield, who said he thought "my lip was busted," pushed at a spectator who leaned over the front row in an apparent attempt to grab at a ball hit into the right-field corner last night in Fenway Park, but security quickly intervened before the incident escalated further.

The spectator, who was not identified by club or security officials, was escorted from the premises because he attempted to interfere with a ball in play, "consistent with our usual procedures," said Glenn Geffner, the team's vice president of media relations. No arrests were made, pending further interviews and review of video of the incident, which took place in the eighth inning of Boston's 8-5 win over the Yankees.

....

Television replays appeared to show spectators leaning over the railing in Row A of Box 86 in Section 4, near the right-field foul pole, as Sheffield tried to field Jason Varitek's eighth-inning triple. A spectator who was wearing a blue baseball cap seemed to strike Sheffield's face as he was reaching for the ball, and a beer spilled onto Sheffield in the hubbub of other fans reaching for the ball.

Within a minute, according to other spectators in the section, police and security officials descended on the man, while Yankee teammates, including reliever Tanyon Sturtze, restrained Sheffield. The spectator was immediately taken away.

"Everybody was just going for the ball as it was banging around," said Keith Whamond of New Haven, who was sitting directly behind the spectator who made contact with Sheffield

News depends on who's writing it, doesn't it?