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JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: VIDEOTAPE FROM FAN COULD AID BACKMAN'S APPEAL.


Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

LANCASTER - On the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons.  of Tuesday's scheduled meeting between JetHawks manager Wally Backman
    Walter 'Wally' Wayne Backman (born September 22, 1959 in Hillsboro, Oregon) is a retired baseball player. Backman spent his 14 season career with the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and Seattle Mariners.
     and top-level baseball officials to discuss an incident for which he received a 10-game suspension and was fined by the California League The California League is a minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth , a videotape supporting his version of the events surfaced.

    Backman was to meet with National Association of Baseball Leagues president Mike Moore
    This page is about the New Zealand politician and former Director-General of the World Trade Organization. For others of the same name, see Michael Moore (disambiguation).
     on Tuesday night in Florida.

    The videotape, submitted Monday by an unidentified JetHawks fan to the team's receptionist, appears to contradicts several aspects of a report issued by umpires Chris Bakke and Scott Jarred. That report was the basis for the league's disciplinary action against Backman.

    The videotape, which was viewed by the Daily News, shows Backman sprinting across the infield and forcefully bumping field umpire Bakke in the seventh inning of an Aug. 24 game against the San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a "high-A" class team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. .

    The report, however, states that Backman ``palms open, violently pushed (home plate umpire Jarred) back several steps'' after Bakke ejected Backman from his field position near second base, and that he ``billed'' Bakke with his baseball cap.

    The videotape shows Backman pushing off a stationary Jarred as he ran toward Bakke and shows Backman's cap being knocked off his head by Bakke's cap bill as Backman turned his head upward to get into the umpire's face.

    Backman was expected to be accompanied by Bob Miller, the assistant general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback.
    The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League.
    , in Tuesday's meeting, which was scheduled in lieu of a written statement Moore said Backman could have submitted instead of taking a plane to Florida.

    Backman acknowledged that the timing of the tape's emergence could not have been better for him.

    ``Absolutely,'' Backman said. ``The tape that one of the fans had makes me feel good about this meeting.''

    However, the videotape does not prove or disprove disprove,
    v to refute or to prove false by affirmative evidence to the contrary.
     another serious allegation in the umpires' report, that Backman threatened Bakke with physical violence.

    Backman vehemently denied the allegation, and said the videotape undermines umpires' credibility.

    Their credibility also will be called into question regarding their depiction of an incident later in the game.

    JetHawks outfielder Reggie Abercrombie Reginald Demascus Abercrombie (born July 15, 1980 in Columbus, Georgia) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros.

    Reggie graduated from Columbus High School.
     was suspended for three games and fined an unspecified amount for allegedly inciting ``on-field violence'' by making an obscene gesture in the direction of the Giants dugout that led to a bench-clearing incident. No physical contact between the two teams occurred and no ejections were handed out.

    ``(The umpires) will lose credibility when (the National Association) sees this tape,'' Backman said. ``I think it proves that (the umpires) fabricated the report.''

    --Negotiations: JetHawks general manager Brad Seymour Brad Seymour (born May 3, 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer. He spent his entire ten year career with the Sydney Swans, playing in the grand final of 1996. Recruited from the Wagga Tigers, Seymour played as a defender. External Links
    • Seymour Stats Page
     will meet with three area business leaders this week for the purpose of negotiating a naming rights Naming rights are the right to name a piece of property, either tangible property or an event, usually granted in exchange for financial considerations. Institutions like schools, places of worship and hospitals have a tradition of granting donors the right to name facilities in  deal for Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

    Seymour, who's already received the city of Lancaster's blessing to pursue a deal, is seeking a 10-year deal, with potential revenues to be split evenly between the city and franchise.

    Seymour confirmed that the JetHawks have set an asking price, but is not ready to release the amount publicly.

    Seymour said he plans to meet with several major aerospace industry representatives for the purpose of negotiating a deal. He has left messages with Boeing, one of the area's largest employers, but has not yet scheduled a meeting with company officials.

    Seymour said city officials told him Boeing had been interested in a potential naming rights deal with the JetHawks in the early years of the franchise's existence, but that talks fell through.

    Gideon Rubin, (818) 713-3607

    gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com
    COPYRIGHT 2004 Daily News
    No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
    Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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    Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
    Date:Sep 1, 2004
    Words:581
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