It’s No Homer, and in This Case, the Fan Is Out

The fans are supposed to be an external factor in the outcome of a game. But if the last month is any indication, things are changing.

During an Angel game July 14, a fan in left field at Anaheim Stadium took a ball away from Blue Jay left fielder George Bell, who reached into the stands for a drive hit by Brian Downing. It was ruled a home run.

Then, at Dodger Stadium Friday evening, Pedro Guerrero hit a Dick Ruthven pitch deep into right field in the first inning, with Ken Landreaux on base. Guerrero and Landreaux thought it was a homer. But umpire Bruce Froemming, saying a fan had reached down over the bar in the right-field corner, ruled it a ground-rule double. Landreaux had to be called back from the dugout.

The fan, Steve Spencer, 20, of Thousand Oaks, maintained shortly after the incident that his arm was behind the rail, and it was a home run.

“I don’t think I interfered with the ball,” he said. “It had to be a homer. I’m really mad that I’m getting kicked out of here.”

Three minutes had passed before a Dodger security man reached Spencer and ejected him, to a chorus of boos by Dodger fans.

Spencer was checked for prior violations and released, but he had to leave the ballpark.

The Dodger director of stadium operations, Bob Smith, said that Spencer was spotted by a member of the security crew with binoculars in center field and was seen reaching over the rail.

“We make announcements before the game not to interfere with the ball in fair territory,” Smith said. “If it’s in foul territory, we don’t bother anybody. Whether it was fair or foul, he was obviously reaching for the ball. The umpire called the play, and with that we immediately ejected him (Spencer).”

Fans in Aisle 54 weren’t in agreement about whether the ball was touched in play.

“The ball hit his wrist behind the bar and bounced off his wrist back on the field,” said Darren Shoen of Thousand Oaks, who was sitting in the same row as Specner.

Pat Dillon of Santa Barbara said: “The ball was hit out of the ballpark. I don’t know whether his hand was over the bar, but he wasn’t in the field of play from where I can see it.

But Viola Makr of Santa Barbara said: “I think his hand was over the bar, out there far enough that the ball hit his wrist.”

According to Smith, if there had been a discrepancy, Spencer wouldn’t have been ejected.

“I told the head of the ushers to handle it the way they normally do when a fan touches a ball,” Smith said. “But when the umpire makes the call, that’s it.”