Man who fell asleep during Yankees game sues team, TV announcers for $10 ...
An embarrassed Yankees fan who fell asleep during an April game against the Red Sox is looking to hit a $10 million home run with a defamation lawsuit against a pair of TV announcers who made fun of him on air.
Andrew Robert Rector sued Dan Shulman and John Kruk of ESPN in Bronx Supreme Court last Thursday, accusing the announcers of subjecting him to 'an unending verbal crusade' after TV cameras captured him dozing in the Yankee Stadium stands at the April 13 rivalry game.
The lawsuit says millions of people 'all over the world' were watching when Shulman and Kruk went to work on Rector, using an 'avalanche of disparaging words' such as 'stupor, fatty, unintelligent and stupid' to describe the snoozing fan.
'These unmitigated verbal onslaughts crossed the line between reporting on sport and abuse against the plaintiff without reasonable cause or restraint,' the lawsuit claims.
It says the announcers made numerous false statements, at point even referring to Rector as 'a fatty cow' and 'not worthy to be a fan.'
Rector names ESPN, Major League Baseball and the Yankees as defendants in addition to Shulman and Kruk.
His lawsuit seeks up to $10 million in damages. Rectors says his character was defamed and claims he suffered emotional distress.
dbeekman@nydailynews.com
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