NEW YORK – Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was arrested Friday morning outside of a hotel in Midtown Manhattan following an altercation with a group of men. Young is also accused of yelling anti-Semitic slurs at a panhandler, which may have contributed to the altercation.
Young, in his first full season with the Tigers, was alleged to be “highly intoxicated” when he got into a heated argument with a group of men outside of the Hilton New York hotel on Sixth Ave. and East 54th Street in Manhattan around 2:40 a.m. on Friday. It is unclear what caused the fight, but it involved Young, a group of four men, and panhandler wearing a yarmulke.
“Basically, there was an incident at the hotel and some anti-Semitic remarks,” said NYPD Detective Joseph Cavitolo. Police officials declined to say exactly what Young said to the panhandler, but according to initial reports from the New York Post, Young yelled, “f**king Jews!” at the panhandler.
Young, 26, had to go to a local hospital to sober up before being brought into custody around 11:15 a.m. Young is awaiting arraignment and has been charged with aggravated harassment and third-degree assault; NYPD investigators are looking into possible hate crime charges in connection with the anti-Semitic slurs.
Tigers vice-president of communications Ron Colangelo said the team has no official comment at this time. The Tigers are currently in New York to start a three-game series with the New York Yankees tonight.
Young, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft, has had a history of anger issues. In April 2006, while playing for the Durham Bulls, Tampa’s Triple-A affiliate, Young was called out on strikes and ejected for refusing to leave the batter’s box. Young left the box, then turned and threw his bat at the umpire, hitting him in the chest.
The next day, Young said that he had not intended for the bat to hit the umpire, but apologized for throwing it. Young was eventually suspended 50 games without pay.
Young, who has a career .287 average with 72 career home runs, was traded to the Tigers from the Minnesota Twins on August 15, 2011 and made an immediate impact. He hit a home run in his first at bat with the team and hit five home runs for Detroit in the playoffs last year, including three against the Yankees in the American League Division Series. He currently bats fifth for the Tigers, behind first baseman Prince Fielder.
Dmitri Young, Delmon’s older brother, played in Detroit from 2002 to 2006. In his final season with the Tigers, Dmitri was treated for alcohol and substance abuse, and depression. He was also charged with multiple domestic violence counts, including assaulting a woman after an argument.
Dmitri was released on Sept. 6, 2006, after an alcohol relapse. Delmon, who is currently hitting .242 with one home run and five RBIs, was signed to a one-year, $6.75 million contract and will be an unrestricted free agent following this season.
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