"Hey, you need to swing the bat, buddy, this isn't little league,"

[header]

Just another lovely day at the ballpark.

Padres probing Nevin's exchange with heckler in Philadelphia


The San Diego Padres are investigating an incident that occurred Sunday at Citizens Bank Park after a fan complained that first baseman Phil Nevin reacted to heckling by unleashing a string of vulgarities.

In a letter to the Padres - copies also were sent to Major League Baseball, the Daily News and the San Diego Union-Tribune - Philadelphia stock options trader Daniel D. Ribecchi conceded that he was among a group of fans heckling Nevin after he struck out looking against Phillies reliever Tim Worrell in the ninth inning.

Ribecchi indicated that he was particularly upset because the remarks were overheard by children, including his 8-year-old daughter.

According to Ribecchi's letter, he hollered, \"Hey, you need to swing the bat, buddy, this isn't little league,\" and that the player responded, \"Why don't you go [bleep] yourself?\"

Nevin, however, told the Union-Tribune that somebody had yelled obscenities at him.

\"I know there was definitely one guy who was yelling profanity at me. And I probably said some things back to him,\" he said. \"I was a little unprofessional. It's not something that's that uncommon. It happens out there. If, in fact, there were kids around, I apologize for that. It was obviously not directed toward them or anybody like that.
....