Tigers star Young pleads guilty to aggravated harassment in NYC slur case

11/7/2012

NEW YORK — Detroit Tigers star Delmon Young pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated harassment in an incident last spring where he shouted an anti-Semitic slur and tackled a man to the ground outside a Manhattan hotel, prosecutors said.

The 27-year-old left fielder was ordered to complete 10 days of community service and enroll in a program at the Museum of Tolerance New York as part of the Manhattan District Attorney's office restorative justice program. His lawyer didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

Young was standing outside of the Hilton New York and was accused of yelling anti-Jewish epithets at a group of tourists, tussling with them and tackling one to the ground in April, when the Tigers were in town to play the New York Yankees.

Young later apologized to his team, and was suspended without pay for seven days.

He went on to hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning of the championship game of the World Series. But the San Francisco Giants won 4-3 in 10 innings to sweep the Tigers.

Young hit three home runs and had a .313 batting average in the postseason, according to mlb.com.

In the court-ordered program, Young will participate in interactive workshops, videos, guided discussions and special instruction by museum educators to explore issues of prejudice, diversity, and tolerance, the district attorney's office said.

The museum reports progress back to prosecutors. If Young completes the program successfully he'll be able to withdraw his plea and plead guilty to a lesser charge.

"Dispositions for defendants charged with bias-related crimes need to be thoughtful and tailored toward healing both the defendant and the entire targeted community," said District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.

Detroit is prepared to let designated-hitter Young leave the team via free agency.