Tampa Fan: Romero Roughed Me Up
Fan claims J.C. Romero assaulted him over steroid remarks
By KAREN ARAIZA
Updated 6:54 PM EST, Sat, Jun 27, 2009
A Tampa Bay fan says he was assaulted by Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero after Thursday's game, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
The Times reported that Romero grabbed and shoved Robert Eaton, 25, of Florida, after the fan made two comments about steroids.
"He reared back and kinda grazed my chin and grabbed me by the neck and threw me back," Eaton told the newspaper. "I was in shock."
Eaton told the newspaper he called out to Romero after a couple of Phillies brushed off his requests for autographs, asking the left-hander to get him some steroids. After Romero told him to shut up and that he didn't know what he was talking about, Eaton said he replied that Romero was the one who'd been suspended.
Romero didn't appear in Saturday's game against the Blue Jays and did not have any initial comment about the allegation. But Philly.com says when a reporter asked Romero if he wanted to hear what Eaton was claiming, Romero said:
"What'd he say? That he was drunk and got into a fight?...I'm not going to comment about it. I'm trying to be professional and I don't really want to get into that. Don't make a story out of nothing." Asked when he found out about Eaton's complaint, Romero said, "I don't know what's going on. I'm just finding out through you guys," according to Philly.com.
Romero was suspended for the first 50 games of the season after testing positive for androstenedione, a substance that Mark McGwire used in the 1990s that was later banned by baseball.
Romero is suing the manufacturer of an over-the-counter supplement that he says led to his positive test.
The Phillies organization confirmed there was an incident but didn't name names in the statement they put out Saturday:
"We're disappointed to learn about the alleged incident with a Rays fan and one of our players following Thursday night's game at Tropicana Field. We are in the process of gathering all of the details surrounding the situation. Until such information is provided, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time."
The Rays also confirmed the incident but did not release details. A St. Petersburg Police Department supervisor confirmed to The Associated Press that there was a battery allegation at Tropicana Field on Thursday, but wouldn't identify who was involved. A message was left seeking comment from James Magazine, Eaton's lawyer.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
First Published: Jun 27, 2009 4:25 PM EST
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