Fan ejected from Steinbrenner Field for heckling Rays’ Yandy Diaz

TAMPA After Yandy Diaz took ball four in the bottom of the fifth inning, he faced the crowd as he unbuckled his shin guard and headed toward first base.His glare was aimed at a man wearing New York Yankee pinstripes seated in the first row near home plate, who Diaz said crossed a line by saying something about his family.Im not going to tolerate disrespect towards my family, Diaz said, via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez.

My family, for me, is sacred.

So (fans) need to understand that they need to abide by the laws of the stadium, and they need to respect the players.As Diaz stared him down, the man gestured defiantly at him.Play did not resume until the fan was escorted out of his seat by security.

The fan taunted the crowd by waving his cap, which also seemed to have a Yankee logo on it, as he was led into the concourse, a young child who had been seated with him in tow.Diaz said postgame he is typically tolerant of heckling, but not when his family becomes the subject of the insults.Im not going to tolerate that, he said.Home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman heard the insults as well, Diaz said, which led to security taking action.Overall, Diaz, who did not specify what the fan said, felt the situation was handled well.In his next at bat, Diaz hit a 3-2 changeup for his 16th home run of the season.Was it a message to the long departed fan?Karma, and God put his hand there, too, so it is what it is.

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