Bullpen brawl hearing scheduled

? Jeff Nelson will be accused of attacking a Fenway Park groundskeeper in a court hearing today that will determine whether criminal charges will be brought against the Yankees reliever and outfielder Karim Garcia.

The pair were identified by two Boston police officers as perpetrators of the ninth-inning bullpen brawl Saturday in Game 3 of the AL championship series.

The two officers are expected to testify at the show cause hearing in Roxbury District Court. The players may have representation, but they are not expected to be present. The charges could be felony assault and battery with a deadly weapon (spikes), and summonses could be issued and a court date set for the two players, though both are unlikely to happen in the same day.

Nelson maintains he isn’t worried, but Garcia said Monday he hired a lawyer.

According to a law enforcement source, the Boston Police Department has received a videotape and eyewitness testimony in its continuing investigation of the fracas, which sent 25-year-old Paul Williams, a special-education teacher and part-time grounds crew member, to the hospital with cleat marks on his back and arms and injuries to his head and mouth.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said police had not sought to interview any Yankees players or personnel about the incident.

According to the Boston Police Incident Report, obtained by the Daily News, police officers “observed member(s) of the NY Yankees Baseball Team initiate an unprovoked attack upon the victim. Summonses to be sought in Rox Dist Court for Assault and Batter on both Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia.”

Nelson says he approached Williams to ask him to stop cheering for the Red Sox in the Yankee bullpen. He says Williams got in his face, Nelson pushed him back, and Williams attempted to throw a punch, starting the melee.

“Right now it’s just taking its steps,” said Nelson, who bristled at a third day of questioning about the incident. “Nothing has changed for me in the last two days. My name has been dragged through the mud enough. I know what happened. That’s all that’s important.”

Sunday, Nelson said he would take a polygraph to validate his claim that he did not initiate the brawl.

According to the incident report, Dunn and Pankievich observed Nelson “approach the victim (who was standing in the corner of the bullpen) … (what appeared to be) a verbal confrontation ensued between the victim and Jeff Nelson. Officer Pankievich proceeded to that location in an attempt to separate the parties. While en route, Jeff Nelson was observed pushing/grabbing the victim in the chest area at which time both parties fell to the ground where Jeff Nelson began punching and flaring his legs at the victim. At that point numerous other members of the Yankees bullpen jumped on to the victim (some striking the victim and others attempting to break up the melee).”

The report says Garcia “was then observed jumping the right field wall, into the bullpen and began striking down at the victim with his left hand.”