No charges expected in scuffle between McLemore, worker
PEORIA, Ariz. — According to sources, it is unlikely that the Feb. 21 incident involving the Mariners' Mark McLemore will result in charges or prosecution.
One source said the ballclub had been apprised of that not long after the Glendale (Ariz.) Police Department took reports that McLemore, 37, allegedly had scuffled with Chris Mills, 20, an employee of a Best Buy store about a half-mile from Seattle's spring-training complex.
If the hullabaloo over the incident, aired by several TV stations here, bothered the Seattle utility star personally, he didn't let it affect his game professionally.
In Oakland's 6-5 win yesterday over the Mariners, McLemore reached base four times with a double and two singles and twice scored from first base.
On defense he missed one skidding rocket by Frank Menechino for an error, but ended the fifth with a nice backhand play behind second on Olmedo Saenz.
"I would love to comment on what happened, but it will all come out," McLemore said. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. No charges have been filed that I know of."
Officer Matt Brown of the Glendale Police said that the report will be filed to the city prosecutor's office.
"They will determine if a crime has been committed," Brown said. "Basically, it is he said, he said; McLemore's word against the other man's."
Any charges reportedly would be misdemeanor.
According to the report, McLemore said Mills refused to help him as he shopped for an AC adapter for his laptop, and walked toward McLemore in a threatening manner.
McLemore, 5-foot-11, 207 pounds, said he protected himself by grabbing Mills, 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, who wound up on the floor.
Mills said he was waiting on another customer and that McLemore was cursing and acting in a menacing manner, so he was going to find store security when McLemore grabbed him.
A police source explained most situations like this are turned down (for prosecution), that witnesses were store employees who could not say exactly what happened.
Lee Pelekoudas, the Mariners' assistant general manager, said, "We are monitoring the situation involving Mark. We'll have no further comment until the facts come out. As usual, we are very supportive of our players."
A team source indicated the feeling was that Mills made more of the incident when he found out McLemore was a ballplayer.
McLemore said only of Mills, "He was large."
Asked if the man knew he was a player, the infielder responded, "When?"
"I don't think you ever need this. I'm done with it," he said. "It's out of my hands. There is nothing else left to say. I'll go out now and do what I need to do, concentrate on playing baseball."
That, he did quite well yesterday.