Security should be much tighter: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/...ent_id=2057573&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf The blast off Arizona right-hander Livan Hernandez came only an inning after a male fan, identified by San Francisco police as Andrew B. Clapp, 24, and a tourist from Fargo, N.D., trotted out to left field and appeared to chat with Bonds while he was trying to play his position. Bonds casually put his arm on the fan's shoulder and walked him off the field toward the left-field foul line where they were met by security. Bonds never seemed in danger and no security ventured into fair territory during the incident. "He just wanted to shake my hand," Bonds told MLB.com in the hallway outside the clubhouse after the Giants dropped a 4-3, 10-inning decision. "I told him to come with me so he didn't get into any more trouble." When asked if he had felt threatened at any time during the episode, Bonds said, "No." The incident occurred with Giants starter Matt Morris nursing a one-ball count on D-backs second baseman Orlando Hudson. There was one out and a runner on first in the top of the seventh when the fan hopped over the low fence by the Giants bullpen down the left-field line and walked unencumbered over to Bonds. Clapp was taken to the county jail in San Francisco and charged with public intoxication and trespassing on the field, both misdemeanors. A police officer contacted at the station said that Clapp still had not been released. Several of the Giants said they were a bit shaken by the incident that occurred during their third loss in a row and 14th in their last 19 games. "When guys go out there, you never know what their intentions are," said center fielder Dave Roberts, who dropped a fly ball later in the inning, allowing two unearned runs to score on the error. "I'm just happy Barry's safe." "It's pretty scary," pitcher Barry Zito said. "You never know with these kinds of things. I didn't see it. I was up here [in the clubhouse] when it happened. But I heard Barry really kept his cool and handled it very well." Since Bonds began his pursuit of Babe Ruth at the outset of last season, Major League Baseball has been overseeing security when the Giants are on the road and travel a member of the security detail from the Commissioner's office with Bonds at each game. The ballclub has been in charge during home games and there have been no previous incidents, although MLB security was at AT&T Park on May 28, 2006, when Bonds hit his 715th homer to pass Ruth into second on the all-time list. During April of last year, a local Phoenix college student was arrested during a game at Chase Field for tossing what was characterized as a tube of toothpaste at the Giants slugger while he was standing in left field. Weeks earlier, on Opening Night in San Diego, Bonds picked up an oversized syringe with his fielding glove as he crossed the foul line walking back toward the dugout. No arrest was made in that case. It's now clear that with Bonds nearing Aaron's record, security must be beefed up in the left-field corner even at home, where MLB's top all-time left-handed power hitter always receives a raucous positive reception. "There are a lot of fans in the ballpark, and you can't control them all," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's pretty easy to get on the field at times. It's always a little scary because you don't know what they're going to do. We have some pretty good security here. I'm sure it will be [beefed up]. I'm sure it's something they're going to address so something like that doesn't happen again."
I'm surprised the security people along the lines don't have big jugs of mace. I imagine approaching Bonds is like approaching a pitbull or a chow. The dog can be perfectly docile and loveable, but you have to be very careful to not look at it the wrong way, or do anything else that could elicit a very swift and violent response.
