Nelson says he had no role in incident

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 10/13/2003

Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson, one of the central figures in the Bullpengate episode in Game 3, last night reiterated he did nothing wrong -- and challenged anyone to prove otherwise. He will get that chance because the Boston police incident report says Nelson and Yankees right fielder Karim Garcia initiated "an unprovoked attack" against Red Sox grounds crew member Paul Williams and plan to seek summonses against the pair tomorrow in Roxbury District Court.

Neither Nelson nor Garcia would address specifics yesterday after Game 4 of the Boston-New York American League Championship Series was rained out. The incident happened in the ninth inning of Game 3 Saturday night following what Nelson and others said was three innings of open cheering for the Red Sox by Williams in the New York bullpen. Nelson and Garcia said they had yet to be contacted by authorities. Nelson was insistent that he had no role in any attack or fight but merely asked Williams to leave the Yankees bullpen after he said Williams had been cheering for three innings.

"I have no reason to lie. I'll take a polygraph," Nelson said. "I know what the hell I did. I know what the hell happened down there. You guys [reporters] have no idea. You guys make everything look as bad as possible. Especially the Boston people. All you want to do, you guys, [you] can protect him, do whatever. I know what happened, and that's the bottom line. You guys can rub our names because we're in from New York, that's a problem. If I would have thought that asking him to go on to the other side would have caused all this, then obviously I wouldn't have done it. But I don't see any harm in that. Did you? Or anybody else?"

Nelson, a 12-year veteran who returned to the Yankees in an Aug. 6 deal with Seattle, said, "I'm not a guy who's going to attack anyone. I've been in this game way too long, and I'm not going to do any of that stuff. I told you this yesterday. But the Boston media and everybody else is saying we attacked this guy. That's wrong."

The police report obtained by the Globe, quoting Boston detective William Dunn and officer Michael Pankievich, states that Nelson first confronted Williams and soon "was observed pushing/grabbing the victim in the chest area at which time both parties fell to the ground, where Jeff Nelson began punching and flaring his legs at the victim." The report said other members of the Yankees bullpen intervened, some striking Williams and others attempting to break it up. Then, the report said, Garcia was seen jumping over the wall, into the bullpen, and began "striking down at the victim with his left hand." The report said Williams received injuries to his head, mouth, and body, "including what appeared to be numerous cleat marks."

Asked about possibly answering charges in court, Nelson said, "If you do, you do. In this day and age, you have to go through that. If it comes to that, it comes to that. I know what I did. If I did something wrong, I would fess up to it. But I didn't."

Red Sox owner John W. Henry fully supported the view of Williams. "I think when the facts come out, Mr. Williams will be vindicated," said Henry, who talked to Williams before he went to the hospital. "There were witnesses, including members of the Boston police force. So let's let the facts come out."

Added Sox president Larry Lucchino, "We are fully supportive of our employee. We support employees whether they are members of the grounds crew, members of the pitching staff, or front office. We are supportive of him. We'll trust that the criminal justice system is examining these matters, and we'll wait for the outcome of that investigation."

Lucchino added that the Red Sox examined Williams's personnel file and that Williams received very good reviews from his supervisors.

Garcia injured his left hand in the melee to the point where he was a lineup scratch last night. Garcia, who throws and bats lefthanded, said he hurt the hand climbing into the bullpen. "Then, I saw blood," he said. He added he was "a little" surprised to be fined and that he expected no hostilities from the Boston fans. "I'll play the game like I always do," he said.

Garcia said he felt he'd be available tonight should he be needed, although Yankees manager Joe Torre said after the rainout that Garcia might miss a couple more days.

"I wanted him to play," Torre said before the game was postponed. "But his hand is somewhat swollen, and he's got a cut on that pinky knuckle."

Garcia, who came to the Yankees in a June 25 deal with Cleveland, was a central player in the drama of Game 3. He drove in the Yankees' first run in New York's 4-3 victory with a second-inning single. He was the the intended victim of a Pedro Martinez beanball (New York version) or just another poor soul who felt Martinez's high, misguided heat (Boston version). But it is the bullpen fracas in which he now is involved.

After the game, Garcia denied throwing any punches, but the New York Times quoted Red Sox reliever Scott Williamson

as saying Williams was "sucker-punched" by Garcia. Said Williamson, "That's tired, that's ridiculous, you can't do that. You're a major league ballplayer, and you're a role model. It's not like the guy spit on your mother." Asked yesterday about Williamson's remark, Garcia refused to comment. Nelson said he didn't even know Garcia was in the bullpen. Torre was asked last night if he thought Nelson might be distracted by the possible legal charges against him.

"We know there are a lot of problems," Torre said, "but I think these players are conditioned in New York with a lot of distractions and a lot of times these players come to the ballpark, have children who aren't feeling well at home. So I'd like to believe they are conditioned somewhat to being able to just put that stuff out of their mind."

Gordon Edes of the Globe staff contributed to this report.