Fan Says Angels’ Nevin Was Cause of Facial Injuries

Dylan Charles, 17, is alleging that he suffered a cut lip and bruised nose after Angel catcher Phil Nevin slammed into a bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium last Wednesday night, driving it into Charles’ face.

According to Charles’ attorney, Sef Krell, Nevin was reacting to two men in their late 20s who were heckling Nevin as he stood in the visitors’ bullpen during the game between the Angels and Dodgers. Krell said that Charles did not know either of the men.

According to Krell, Charles stood against the fence separating fans from the bullpen when Nevin punched the fence with his hands, ramming it into him. Charles, who works at a Burbank baseball memorabilia store, called Dodger security and filed a report. Krell said that he contacted the Dodgers’ legal counsel and Nevin’s agent, Mike Watkins, on Charles’ behalf.

Nevin, however, said Charles’ claim is “totally bogus,” adding that he “never punched a fence.” Nevin said fans were dousing members of the Angel bullpen with beer, soda and other objects and that he responded by spraying several of them with a hose.

“I’ve done some dumb things in my life, but I’m not dumb enough to punch someone,” Nevin said. “And if I’m gong to punch someone, it’s not going to be through a fence. If it was something that really happened, I’d be worried about it. But it didn’t.”