Sports

Tigers’ Young placed on restricted list after ‘anti-Semitic’ attack

Detroit outfielder Delmon Young – facing a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge for an alleged drunken fight during which cops say he yelled anti-Semitic slurs – went on baseball’s restricted list today and will be evaluated Monday. And the Tigers say if he’s cleared by doctors, they have no problem playing him.

“If he’s cleared to play, he will play,’’ said Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski, confirming the evaluator – agreed on by MLB and the Players’ Association – will conduct alcohol and anger management evaluations. Young is getting paid despite being replaced on the roster. And with the evaluator’s recommendation expected Monday night, if he’s cleared Detroit isn’t planning further discipline.

YOUNG BUSTED IN ‘ANTI-SEMITIC’ ATTACK: DA

“(Young) was not in a very good state as far as his sobriety; that is not a good situation,’’ said Dombrowski. “That’s all I know. I do know there was a skirmish, I do know that. Beyond that, I don’t know anything else. Those situations to themselves are concerning, and not what you would like to see. If the allegations are true, that is also concerning and not something you’d like to see happen.

“I do not know what happened there. I was there that night, and I do know that some things that have been written are not accurate. I do know that. I’m not going to get into what they are, but I do wholeheartedly know that because read some articles in the paper this morning that are not accurate…not necessarily everything in the articles were in the police report.’’

Young was replaced indefinitely on the 25-man roster by Triple-A callup Danny Worth, and is not presently with the team for Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium.

He’d been outside of the Hilton New York at about 2:30 a.m. Friday when a quartet of Chicago tourists were approached by a panhandler wearing a yarmulke and a Star of David. He started yelling anti-Semitic epithets, according to police, got into a fight with the tourists and 32-year-old man was tackled and sustained scratches. Young was arrested, and believed to be drunk.

He posted a $5,000 bond in Manhattan court and was released. He’s due back in court on May 29, facing a misdemeanor aggravated harassment charge that entails targeting someone for his or her religious beliefs, and carries up to a year in jail.

“There are allegations that are involved. I don’t really know what took place; I don’t think anybody really knows 100 percent of what took place. But that’s all part of the evaluation process, and that’s why he’s going through this,’’ said Dombrowski. “He reached out to me and the organization. He’s very apologetic and knows there’s no excuse.

“I don’t think there’s any correlation between (the incident and our struggles). If we were 6-1 or 1-6, when somebody does this, it’s never a good timer, it’s never a good period, and you deal with the situations that are necessary.’’

The incident is presently being investigated by the New York Police Dept.’s hate-crimes task force; and because of hate-crimes language initiated in the wake of former Atlanta closer John Rocker’s racist, homophobic rants, Young’s $6.75 million deal could conceivably be voided if he is deemed to have violated the players-owners pact known as the Basic Agreement.

But listening to Dombrowski, it was clear that if the evaluator recommends clearing Young to play, the Tigers would be playing him, not cutting him, and deal with any criminal and civil matters later.

“If they come back and say he’s cleared to play, then he’ll be cleared to play. He will be playing; I’d be surprised if he’s not. There are still some legal regards, but he would be cleared to play (so) he’ll be playing,’’ said Dombrowski, who got a call in his hotel room at about 4 am with the news of the arrest.

“If he’s cleared, he’s accused of a misdemeanor at this point. If he’s cleared by the doctor he’d be in a position to play at that time.’’

This isn’t the first time Young has run afoul of the law, thanks to his hair-trigger temper. Back on April 26, 2006, while playing for the Durham Bulls, he threw his bat at the umpire after being called out on strikes and drew a 50-game suspension without pay.

He wasn’t at Yankee Stadium or even with the team Saturday, but said in a statement on Friday “I sincerely regret what happened last night.’’ He apologized to the Tigers owners, organization and fans, his family and Tigers teammates, adding “I take this matter very seriously and assure everyone that I will do everything I can to improve myself as a person and player.’’