Fan's-eye view of Gary Sheffield going Artest at Fenway

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Yankee pride

“I’m a big Yankee fan. I thought it was going to turn into the Ron Artest fight.”

Sox fans

“The guy who touched Sheffield kept talking to these two girls next to him the whole game about how he’s getting married. He wasn’t paying attention to the game at all. I kept telling my friend, ‘I wish this guy would shut up.’ People in our section were screaming and busting on Gary about steroids for the entire game. Chanting ‘Balco’ and, ‘Hey, Gary, I got some flaxseed for you.’ I’m sure he was getting pissed.”

The play

“It was 6-5 Red Sox at the time, so I was pretty bummed out. Jason Varitek’s hit trickled up the first-base side and bounced off the wall. Guys started throwing themselves over the wall trying to catch the ball. I don’t think that guy was trying to hit Sheffield—I think he was going for the ball, and I guess he touched Sheff’s face.”

Retaliation

“Sheffield flipped out. He started screaming, ‘You f***ing punched me!’ After he threw the ball back in, he was about a foot away and said, ‘Don’t f***ing punch me.’ The guy was leaning back into me, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Sheffield said afterward how much restraint he had, but he was very close to jumping in the stands and laying this guy out. He was livid. He’s the last Yankee I would mess with.”

Capturing the moment

“There were hundreds of people around me screaming, ‘F*** you!’ and, ‘You’re an *******!’ to Gary. I was the one guy in the crowd screaming, ‘Gary, you’re my boy—lay this guy out!’ I took pictures with one hand and, with the other, pointed at the guy’s head for the cops to get him. I totally called him out.”