SAN FRANCISCO — Alexander Poulides flipped on the news Monday afternoon and saw a story about the outcry surrounding the Giants fan who threw an object at Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.
His heart sank.
“Oh, my god,” Poulides said. “I threw a banana on my way out.”
Poulides, 42, said he grabbed a banana off a catering cart and hurled it toward the field in disgust at the Giants near the end of a 10-2 loss at AT&T Park on Sunday. The banana apparently sailed toward Jones, who tweeted about the incident after the game.
As the Giants launched an investigation, Poulides reached the San Jose Mercury News via email and subsequent phone call to claim credit for what he called “an indiscretion.”
Above all, Poulides stressed repeatedly that the incident was not a racially motivated, as some had speculated. He was upset at the Giants, not Jones.
“I’m embarrassed and shocked by the outcome,” the Northern California resident said. “In hindsight, I wish I didn’t do it and I apologize. I’m very sorry.”
The Giants said they were unable to immediately confirm that Poulides was the culprit and were continuing to investigate the incident. In a public statement earlier Monday, the team wrote:
“We would like to extend our sincerest apologies to Adam and the entire Orioles organization for this unfortunate incident,” the team said in a statement released through the media. The inappropriate actions of this individual in no way reflect the values of our organization and our fans.”
In it the team’s statement, the Giants also reiterated the AT&T Park policy regarding fan conduct.
“The Giants have a zero tolerance policy against this type of behavior, which results in immediate ejection from the ballpark,” the statement said. “While we have been investigating the matter since we learned of the situation, unfortunately we have been unable to identify the person responsible.”
Jones, 28, is hitting .304 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI. He hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Barry Zito on Sunday, just minutes before the apparent incident with the fan.
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