An ugly ending to the Yankee-Cleveland game Saturday involved Guardian Rookie sensation Steven Kwan.
Video shows New York fans throwing bottles, cans, and garbage at the Guardian outfielders Saturday.
NBC4 reports it began after Kwan crashed into the outfield wall in an attempt to catch a long double by Isiah Kiner-Falefa who tied the game in the ninth.
The attempt by Kwan shook up the left fielder and prompted trainers to run out and treat him.
Fellow Cleveland outfielder Myles Straw says fans began hurling insults at Kwan.
“Some of the things that were said to him, just for me, weren’t gonna fly,” Straw said. “So my emotions got to me a little bit. But at that point, I feel like as a Yankees fan, you gotta be excited for your team. You should be cheering. A guy went head-first into a hard wall. There’s no business for saying what those guys said to him. It got to me a little bit. I said what I said. If I were to do it again, I probably would have said the same thing. That’s my guy. At that point, just cheer. Be happy your team tied the game up and be a normal baseball fan and just enjoy what’s going on.”
ESPN reports Cleveland outfielder Oscar Mercado reacted by pointing at the stands and Straw climbed a chain-link fence to confront fans.
Tensions escalated after pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres knocked in the winning run for the Yankees as both Mercado and Straw chased after the ball.
Fans began taunting the two and began throwing debris.
The Yankees had to abruptly end their walk-off victory and instead ran into the outfield in an attempt to calm their fans as the Cleveland players walked away.
“Obviously, there’s no place for throwing stuff on the field in that situation,” ESPN reported Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I’ll get more clarity on it, but obviously, we certainly don’t want to put anyone in danger.”
“I didn’t know what was going on, but that can’t happen,” Yankee shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, in his first season with the Yankees, said. “I love the atmosphere, I love the fans, I love everything about them, but we win with class.”
Kwan is from Fremont, California. His father is Chinese American and his mother is Japanese American. He gained national attention after getting on base 15 times in his first four games.
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