Lawyer for Ken Pagan says he lost his job and suffered harassment after throwing a beer near Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim last year.
One toss of a beer sent Ken Pagan’s life reeling.
Pagan was the Toronto Blue Jays fan who hurled the 24-ounce can toward Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim at an American League wild-card game last October at Rogers Center. A judge on Wednesday sentenced Pagan to 12 months of probation, 100 hours of community service and ordered him not to attend major-league games for one year as part of his guilty plea on a single count of mischief.
Pagan apologized to Kim, the Orioles and the Blue Jays.
The sentence will spare Pagan a criminal record, although his lawyer told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday that his client has already dealt with substantial repercussions.
“He was in a state of severe depression at first before he pulled himself together, ” attorney Tyler Smith said. “He lost his job as a copy editor and had to start from the bottom. He took a job delivering pizzas and then got a job doing janitorial services. He’s now the janitorial supervisor for a company in Hamilton (Ontario) . He’s done his best to get back on track.”
Police used social media to identify him as the man who had tossed the beer. He lost his job at Postmedia Network, ending his career as a journalist that began at small Canadian newspapers.
Smith said those around him couldn’t comprehend how Pagan, who volunteered as a youth baseball and hockey coach, threw the beer that sparked outrage.
Justice Robert Bigelow noted Pagan’s hardships in his ruling.
“He has suffered humiliation and harassment as a result of this incident, ” Bigelow said (via the Toronto Sun) . “Is that sufficient to denounce and deter this type of behavior?
“I don’ t find there was an intention to strike an Orioles player. There was a potential for harm against Baltimore Orioles and…more serious consequences.”
More: Rockies’ rookies face tall task as mid-summer approaches
More: Final day: MLB All-Star Game vote tightens
