April 27: Justin Quinn, center, with his wife Jessica, right, and their twin daughters: Kylynn, far left, and Taylor, far right, take questions during a news conference organized by Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred, standing left, in Los Angeles. (AP)
LOS ANGELES -- A California man claims Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell made homophobic comments and crude sexual gestures toward fans and threatened him with a bat before the Braves played the San Francisco Giants on April 23.
Thirty-three-year-old Justin Quinn, of Fresno, made the allegations Wednesday during a press conference organized by prominent Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. Quinn says he was attending the game with his wife and 9-year-old twin daughters at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Quinn alleges that when McDowell was told there were children present, McDowell replied that kids don't belong at a baseball park, picked up a bat, walked up to Quinn and asked him how much is teeth were worth.
Quinn says McDowell and the Braves should be fined and should issue an apology.
McDowell says in a statement Wednesday that he's "deeply sorry" that he responded to the heckling fans before the Braves played the Giants on Saturday.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said that although he doesn't have all the facts about what happened, he's troubled by the allegations.
Justin Quinn of Fresno said he saw McDowell make crude sexual gestures at three men during batting practice. Quinn alleges that when he told McDowell that there were children present, McDowell replied that kids don't belong at a baseball park, picked up a bat and threatened him.
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