April 27, 2012 | 1:46 pm

Detroit outfielder arrested on suspicion of anti-Semitic hate crime

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Detroit Tigers outfield Delmon Young has been arrested by New York police on suspicion of an anti-Semitic hate crime. The AP reports:

Young was standing outside of the Hilton New York at about 1:30 a.m., where he was staying ahead of a series with the New York Yankees that starts Friday night. Nearby, a group of about four Chicago tourists staying at the hotel were approached by a panhandler wearing a yarmulke and a Star of David around his neck. After, as the group walked up to the hotel doors, Young started yelling anti-Semitic epithets, police said.

It was not clear whom Young was yelling at, but he got into a tussle with the Chicago group, and a 32-year-old man sustained scratches to his elbows, according to police.

Both Young and the group went inside the hotel, and at some point, police were called, and Young was arrested, police said. He was arrested on a charge of aggravated harassment as a hate crime.

This sounds stranger than a Mel Gibson arrest. And maybe Young should use the Mel Gibson Defense:

Using alcoholism to cover one’s mistakes, like blaming Jews for all the world’s wars. You can pretty much say anything you want, as long as your drunk it doesn’t count. You also get special treatment later because you have a problem.

Young might qualify. Before being taken to jail, the squad car swung Young by the hospital because they thought he was drunk.

Read the rest here.

(Hat tip: Matt Who Likes to Cook)