The fan wasn't swinging at Sheffield

I'm sorry that the Yankees keep winning, but that's the name of the game. I am glad that you give the real reason you hate the Yanks and not some stupid statements many Sox fans give. I feel he was going after Sheffield because if he was going after the ball, he would have bent over to get it wouldn't he. Although the fence isn't to high in that area, you still have to bend over to get the ball.
   I think he wanted to knock the ball out of Sheffield's glove, missed and hit him in the face. I commend Sheffield for not going into the stands and clocking the guy. I doubt I would have done what he did, or in this case didn't.

... I won't tell you why I think they keep winning ;)

I see what you mean about not bending over to go after the ball, and my response would be that I don't think the guy really knew what he was doing.  I think he made a motion for it and wasn't really sure what the hell he should do.  I just don't think he was swinging at Sheffield.  If he was then he did a piss poor job of it what with not looking at him or aiming for him and all.

I don't really know what the fan was doing, but when Sheff came over to field the ball, the guy swiped upward with his hand.  He could have been trying to hit Sheff, knock his cap off, knock the ball out of his glove, or stick his hand in Sheff's face to distract him.  Whatever it was, it wasn't innocent.  

Like everyone else, I've watched the tapes of the incident over and over again, and it just really defies any definitive conclusions about what the fan was doing.

Some things are clear:

1. The fan was not seriously going after the ball.  Compare his body posture and position to fans farther down the line, and it's obvious that he was not making a serious effort to get the ball.  It is possible that he was just making a symbolic "swipe" as if he was trying to get the ball, but it's just not possible to tell from the tapes.  (His explanations after the fact are worthless.)
2. He made contact, during the course of a play, with a player who was going after a ball still in play, and the contact was made on the field side of the fence.  In that respect, it's irrelevant whether he meant to make contact, or what the purpose of the contact was, by touching Sheffield while Sheffield was on the field, and by touching him on the field side of the fence, he interfered with the play of the game, and was therefore in the wrong.
3. Sheffield immediate reponse was understandable. His head was down, he was concentrating on what he needed to do, and he felt himself get hit in the face while on the field of play.  He responded automatically to this, and then completed the play.  While I think the announcers and commentators have made far too much of Sheffield's "restraint", he absolutely did do the right thing by not following up and escalating the encounter once he had gotten his throw off.  But the right thing is what everyone is expected to do, and Sheffield deserves no special accolades for just doing what was right.  I'm willing to cut him a break on his spontaneous response (and I hope the League will as well), but let's not overpraise him.