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. »
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