Fan Says No to Homer

A fan said he touched the ball hit by Boston’s Todd Walker and disagreed with the home run call in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the AL championship series between the Red Sox and Yankees on Wednesday night.

As Walker’s drive off Mike Mussina headed toward the foul pole, the fan reached toward the ball, and right field umpire Angel Hernandez signaled it was foul. He was quickly overruled by plate umpire Tim McClelland, giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead on the way to a 5-2 win.

“It was a foul ball by at least six inches,” said Josh, an 18-year-old from Fair Lawn, N.J., who refused to give his last name. He said that after the ball hit his right palm, it dropped straight down and didn’t hit the pole.

Then, he added, he was “almost” certain the ball would have been foul if he hadn’t touched it.

It was Walker’s fourth homer of the postseason.

“I didn’t see exactly how it could be controversial at all,” Red Sox Manager Grady Little said. “We felt it was fair all the way and on my way out there Tim McClelland saw it the same way.”