Imagine someone throws a beer at a ballplayer at Wrigley Field, and you get blamed.
That's what happened to Dan DeLaPaz, who was mistakenly accused of throwing a brew at the Phillies' Shane Victorino Wednesday night and kicked out of the ball park.
DeLaPaz appeared on WGN's Sports Central, as did Johnny Macchione of Bartlett, who eventually admitted he was the beer tosser.
DeLaPaz says Macchione did eventually apologize to him for the mistake. Macchione says he threw the beer in a rash and dumb move.
Macchione says he got caught up in the heat of the moment and hoped his actions would not taint the Cubs. "I am a true fan. I love the Cubs," Macchione said. He said his decision to throw the beer on Shane Victorino Wednesday night was not premeditated or encouraged by his friends. He partly blamed the move on frustration for how the Cubs were playing.
"No one said 'Wouldn't that be cool' or 'Hey, let's do something crazy.' It was just the heat of the moment," he said. "It was just an impulse move. There's no excuse for it."
Seconds after the incident, security personnel escorted DeLaPaz out of the bleachers. Macchione said DeLaPaz was his friend's cousin. He said he did not initially identify himself as the culprit because "I didn't even know what was going on at the time."
"I didn't deny it," he said. "Security just kind of whizzed past me and I saw them grab my buddy and I pointed and said, 'It's not him' and they just dragged him out. We went down to get him. It wasn't like I was making him take the fall."
Macchione said he would like to apologize to Victorino.
"I would like to give him my sincere apology," he said. "I have no disrespect for him. I know what he means to the game. He's a great player."
Macchione also asked for the forgiveness of Cubs fans, who he said were "the greatest fans in the world," and said he hoped his actions did not taint their image.
"I am one person out of millions of people," he said. "It was one mistake. If I could take it back, I would."
That's what happened to Dan DeLaPaz, who was mistakenly accused of throwing a brew at the Phillies' Shane Victorino Wednesday night and kicked out of the ball park.
DeLaPaz appeared on WGN's Sports Central, as did Johnny Macchione of Bartlett, who eventually admitted he was the beer tosser.
DeLaPaz says Macchione did eventually apologize to him for the mistake. Macchione says he threw the beer in a rash and dumb move.
Macchione says he got caught up in the heat of the moment and hoped his actions would not taint the Cubs. "I am a true fan. I love the Cubs," Macchione said. He said his decision to throw the beer on Shane Victorino Wednesday night was not premeditated or encouraged by his friends. He partly blamed the move on frustration for how the Cubs were playing.
"No one said 'Wouldn't that be cool' or 'Hey, let's do something crazy.' It was just the heat of the moment," he said. "It was just an impulse move. There's no excuse for it."
Seconds after the incident, security personnel escorted DeLaPaz out of the bleachers. Macchione said DeLaPaz was his friend's cousin. He said he did not initially identify himself as the culprit because "I didn't even know what was going on at the time."
 Nuccio DiNuzzo, Chicago Tribune |
Macchione said he would like to apologize to Victorino.
"I would like to give him my sincere apology," he said. "I have no disrespect for him. I know what he means to the game. He's a great player."
Macchione also asked for the forgiveness of Cubs fans, who he said were "the greatest fans in the world," and said he hoped his actions did not taint their image.
"I am one person out of millions of people," he said. "It was one mistake. If I could take it back, I would."
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