
| Men allege sexual abuse by former Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager | |
Boston ? Two more men are accusing a now-dead former Red Sox clubhouse manager of sexually abusing them and are asking for $5 million settlements, their lawyer said Monday. Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian said he sent the Red Sox a letter last month informing them of the new allegations against Donald Fitzpatrick. Both men, now in their 30s, were teenage clubhouse attendants in 1991 when they say Fitzpatrick molested them in the Fenway Park clubhouse. Fitzpatrick died in 2005. The statute of limitations has expired to file a lawsuit or seek criminal charges. In 2003, the team settled a lawsuit with seven Florida men who said Fitzpatrick molested them during spring training beginning in the 1970s. In 2002, Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty in Florida to four counts of attempted sexual battery on a child under 12. He received a 10-year suspended sentence and 15 years of probation. Garabedian, a prominent victims’ attorney in the Catholic priest-abuse scandal, said both men decided to come forward after sexual abuse allegations were made against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and after U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s revelation that he was molested by a counselor at a summer camp when he was 10. “I’m asking the Red Sox to do the correct moral thing,” said Garabedian, who represented hundreds of victims during the clergy sexual abuse scandal in Boston. Garabedian said team lawyers have asked to meet with his clients. Red Sox attorney Daniel Goldberg did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. In a statement given to The Boston Globe, which first reported the new allegations, Goldberg said the Red Sox “have always viewed the actions of Mr. Fitzpatrick to be abhorrent.” “When the team, then under a previous ownership group, became aware of the allegations against Mr. Fitzpatrick in 1991, he was promptly relieved of his duties,” Goldberg said. He said the club does not have any specifics regarding the two recent allegations. The allegations are believed to be the first time that Fitzpatrick has been accused of molesting boys in the Red Sox clubhouse at Fenway, Garabedian said. One of the men, Charles Crawford, has agreed to go public with his name “as part of the healing process,” Garabedian said. Crawford was expected to speak to reporters at a Monday morning news conference. Garabedian said Crawford alleges that Fitzpatrick raped him twice in the team’s clubhouse when he was 16. He said Crawford’s life went downhill after the abuse. He has had trouble holding jobs and has fathered five children with five women, Garabedian said. “What he thought was the best of all worlds by working with the Red Sox was eclipsed by the worst of all worlds when he was sexually molested by Donald Fitzpatrick,” Garabedian said. “In his mind, he’s always been running. He’s always been not good enough, he’s always had problems with trust and self-esteem.” The second man, who does not wish to be named, is an educator and now is married with children, Garabedian said. He was traveling with the Red Sox in Anaheim, Calif., when another clubhouse attendant held a sign during a televised game that said, “Donald Fitzpatrick sexually assaulted me.” Team officials said then that Fitzpatrick decided to take an indefinite leave of absence. He did not return to work for the team. The second alleged victim told the Globe that after the Anaheim incident, he waited for team officials to ask him and other teenage attendants if Fitzpatrick had ever behaved inappropriately with them. “No one from the team pulled us aside afterward and said, ‘I just want to make sure you’re OK,’” he said. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Feel free to leave your comments below. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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| Red Sox deny report about dugout drinking | |
Embattled Red Sox pitchers Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey denied a TV report Tuesday that said they drank beer in the dugout during games. The allegation is the latest in a rough stretch for Boston, which missed the playoffs following a record collapse, going 7-20 in September and finishing at 90-72. Manager Terry Francona was let go last month, general manager Theo Epstein appears to be on his way out and Lester, Beckett and Lackey have caught much of the blame for the team’s season-ending skid. “Tonight our organization has heard directly from Jon, Josh, John, and former manager Terry Francona,” team president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday in a release. “Each has assured us that the allegation that surfaced today about drinking in the dugout during games in 2011 is false, and we accept their statements as honest and factual. “It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.” WHDH-TV, citing two unidentified Red Sox employees, reported Tuesday that Beckett, Lester and Lackey would fill their cups with beer in the Fenway Park clubhouse, then return to the dugout and drink while watching the game. One of the employees told WHDH-TV the three starters appeared “bored on nights they weren’t pitching and this is how they entertained themselves.” “The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false,” Lester said in the release issued by the team. “Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.” Said Beckett: “I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough. I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true.” The Boston Globe reported last Wednesday that Beckett, Lackey and Lester would eat fried chicken, drink beer and play video games in the clubhouse during games, instead of being in the dugout with their teammates. That story was based on “team sources.” “There are things that went on this season that shouldn’t have happened, but this latest rumour is not true,” Lackey said in Tuesday’s release, “and I felt that it was important to try to stop this from going any further.” Said Francona: “In 32 years of professional baseball, I have never seen someone drinking beer in the dugout.” Back to accessibility links What do you guys think about this. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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| Boston Red Sox deny television report about drinking in dugout | |
BOSTON – Embattled Red Sox pitchers Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey denied a TV report Tuesday that said they drank beer in the dugout during games. The allegation is the latest in a rough stretch for Boston, which missed the playoffs following a record collapse, going 7-20 in September and finishing at 90-72. Manager Terry Francona was let go last month, general manager Theo Epstein appears to be on his way out and Lester, Beckett and Lackey have caught much of the blame for the team’s season-ending skid. “Tonight our organization has heard directly from Jon, Josh, John, and former manager Terry Francona,” team president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday in a release. “Each has assured us that the allegation that surfaced today about drinking in the dugout during games in 2011 is false, and we accept their statements as honest and factual. “It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.” WHDH-TV, citing two unidentified Red Sox employees, reported Tuesday that Beckett, Lester and Lackey would fill their cups with beer in the Fenway Park clubhouse, then return to the dugout and drink while watching the game. One of the employees told WHDH-TV the three starters appeared “bored on nights they weren’t pitching and this is how they entertained themselves.” “The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false,” Lester said in the release issued by the team. “Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.” Said Beckett: “I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough. I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true.” The Boston Globe reported last Wednesday that Beckett, Lackey and Lester would eat fried chicken, drink beer and play video games in the clubhouse during games, instead of being in the dugout with their teammates. That story was based on “team sources.” “There are things that went on this season that shouldn’t have happened, but this latest rumour is not true,” Lackey said in Tuesday’s release, “and I felt that it was important to try to stop this from going any further.” Said Francona: “In 32 years of professional baseball, I have never seen someone drinking beer in the dugout.” Comment Below!. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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| Pedroia, Red Sox Put On Laser Show | |
Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox hits a three run homer against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning on July 7, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Red Sox had a home run derby of their own Thursday night at Fenway, sending six of their 13 hits against the Orioles out of the yard. Or as Dustin Pedroia would put it; a laser show. “We swung the bats great,” said the Red Sox second baseman, whose three-run homer in the third inning put Boston on top 3-2 at the time. “We just got to keep it going. There was a lot of good pitches to hit tonight and we didn’t miss them. That was the thing; we were patient. We got into hitters counts. We did a good job.” Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all hit a long ball Thursday night. Ortiz, Reddick and Saltalamacchia went back-to-back-to-back in the seventh, the first time the Sox have pulled off the feat since August of 2010. “Our guys did a great job. We scored and we added on,” said manager Terry Francona after the 10-4 win. “Pedey with a big hit early to get us back in it. They kept fighting and getting big hits the rest of the way.” Dustin Pedroia After Boston’s 10-4 Win “When Pedroia hits that home run, from there and when I came out of the game, the offense took off. You certainly appreciate that as a pitcher,” said starter Andrew Miller, who allowed three runs over five innings of work. Read: Man Throws Out Fenway First Pitch With Feet The six home runs were the most hit by the Red Sox since September of 2009, which also came against the Orioles. The debate now rages on, which long ball was the best? “I’ll take them all,” said Ellsbury, who blasted his 11th of the season. “We had a variety; one monster ball, two to dead center, two to right. They were all good swings; you can’t go wrong with any one of them.” “Pedey’s,” said Gonzalez, who hit his 17th. “That one just because of the situation of putting us ahead. It put us ahead and we didn’t look back after that.” After Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta walked the first two batters of the third, Pedroia took a high fastball and deposited over the monster seats into the parking garage on Landsdowne Street. The Sox went from trailing 2-0 to have a 3-2 lead. Still, Pedroia would not say his blast was the best. “I don’t know we put some good swings. You guys can figure that one out,” he said after the game. Leave your comments on the news below. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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| Boston Red Sox notes: Slumping J.D. Drew sits this one out | |
BOSTON – He was not hurt, not in need of rest, and not sitting because a left-hander was pitching. J.D. Drew was out of the Red Sox lineup Wednesday for one reason: he’s not hitting. “J.D. has that track record of having that one good month when he carries us. He hasn’t had that yet,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “I think we keep waiting on that.” Drew is hitting .228. He went 3 for 12 on last week’s road trip, then 0 for 7 in the first two games of the White Sox series at Fenway Park. Josh Reddick started in right field against Chicago right-hander Gavin Floyd on Wednesday. “A day game after a night game, we’re looking for some energy. Maybe Josh can give us a boost,” Francona said. Francona said Drew is trying to stay back on sliders and cutters, and spray the ball to left or center, but without consistent success. “He’s taken some good swings. He just hasn’t been able to keep stringing them together,” Francona said. The Sox have four of the first 40 picks. As usual, they will seek the best players available, regardless of position. “College players take three to four years to develop, high school players four to five. By then, who knows what our (positional) needs will be?” Epstein said. He said that having so many high draft picks has energized the scouts, who know a good chance exists that the players they follow will be available to draft. College pitching is a strength of the 2011 draft. Catching is considered weak at the college level and average in high school. More scouting emphasis is being placed on defense these days. Epstein said the Red Sox also try to learn as much about a player’s background and character as possible. Because New England and other cold-weather players have played relatively few games, and must adapt to rugged conditions to play at all, they can be appealing because “their best baseball is ahead,” Epstein said. He has scouted some Massachusetts players personally, but would not say where he has been. “I try to put on a hat and hide behind a tree. It usually doesn’t work,” Epstein said. The process is still a mixture of old-fashioned legwork, sabermetrics, painstaking study and educated calculation. Only international scouting involves a harder set variables to weigh, Epstein said. “It’s such an inexact science. You know that nine of out 10 (picks) won’t work out,” he said. DICE-K UPDATE: Francona said elbow surgery is still not being considered for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was to return Wednesday night from an examination in Los Angeles. The Red Sox do not have a timetable or definite plan regarding Matsuzaka’s next rehab step. HOCKEYTOWN: Hours before the Bruins and Vancouver Canucks opened their Stanley Cup Finals series, Rene Rancourt fired up the Fenway crowd with his famed rendition of the national anthem. Francona was asked if he had a preference between hockey and soccer. The response was prompt. “Hockey. Soccer is so boring. It’s awful,” he said. Subscribe to our feed!. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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| Red Sox Defense, Bullpen Fall Apart In 9-3 Loss To Cubs | |
Reed Johnson #5 of the Chicago Cubs gets past Jason Varitek #33 of the Boston Red Sox to score in the eighth inning on May 21, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Tonight the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox are wearing replica uniforms from 1918. Before this series, the two teams haven’t played at Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) BOSTON (AP) – The Boston Red Sox should just throw away those throwback uniforms. And they should toss the tape of the eighth inning along with them. Three Boston errors were the low points of an eight-run Chicago eighth inning as the Red Sox fell 9-3 to the Cubs on Saturday “It got a little bit ugly,” Boston manager Terry Francona said after his team’s 3-1 lead was wiped away. WBZ NewsRadio 1030?s Jonny Miller spoke to Francona after the game: On one play during the inning, the Red Sox, wearing their 1918 throwbacks, threw the ball around it seemed like 19 or 18 times. After the Cubs had taken a 6-3 lead in the eighth, Boston had Alfonso Soriano caught in a run down between third and home after a Soriano raced home and Jeff Baker, who had doubled on the play, came home when Carl Crawford’s wild throw rolled under the glove of reliever Franklin Morales, covering the plate, and past first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who was backing up, to make it 8-3. Youkilis and Crawford were charged with errors on the play. Earlier in the inning, shortstop Jed Lowrie dropped a short pop up, allowing a run to score. Reed Johnson’s go-ahead, two-run double keyed the big inning against Matt Albers (0-2), who didn’t retire a batter, giving up WBZ NewsRadio 1030?s Jonny Miller spoke to Albers after the game: So much for the new — or, old — look. The loss snapped Boston’s season-high, seven-game winning streak. “You give up a lead and it’s always frustrating,” Lowrie said. “We just had a bad inning got to forget.” The Cubs’ last visit to 99-year-old Fenway Park before Friday night’s 15-5 loss was in the World Series 93 years ago. Chicago won the fifth game then, but Boston took the championship by winning Game 6. The Red Sox had victory in sight again on Saturday before the eighth. Johnson had entered the game as a pinch runner in the top of the second after Marlon Byrd was beaned. Byrd walked off under his own power. The Red Sox spent about four hours in first place in the AL East when Tampa Bay lost to Florida 5-3. Their first stay at the top this season marked a stunning turnaround for a team that began the season at 2-10. Then came the wild turn of events in the eighth that ended Boston’s winning streak. Before then, Aramis Ramirez had given Chicago a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI double. Boston went ahead on David Ortiz’s In came Albers, out went the lead. Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro singled and Ramirez walked, loading the bases. Carlos Pena then walked in a run before Johnson doubled to left, putting the Cubs ahead to stay. Soriano followed with a popup to short left field where shortstop Lowrie let it bounce off his glove for an error as Pena scored. Morales, obtained Thursday from Colorado, relieved Albers and his first pitch went for an RBI double by pinch-hitter Baker. Koyie Castro followed with an RBI double, making it 9-3. The Red Sox throwback uniforms were an off-white color with no team name on the front. The Cubs wore grey uniforms with blue NOTES: RHP Matt Garza was scratched from his scheduled start in Sunday’s series finale with stiffness in his pitching elbow. Cubs manager Mike Quade indicated that lefty reliever James Russell was the leading candidate to start against Tim Wakefield. … Youkilis was hit by a pitch for the 72nd time, breaking a tie with Mo Vaughn for the Red Sox record. … Ortiz’s homer made him the fifth player to hit at least 300 with the Red Sox. The others are Ted Williams (521), Carl Yastrzemski (452), Jim Rice (382) and Dwight Evans (379). … Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks is expected to throw his first bullpen session on Monday since going on the disabled list May 5 with a strained right biceps. (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in reds-news | Comments Off
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