BOSTON, March 5 (UPI) -- Eight additional men have accused the late Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager Donald J. Fitzpatrick of sexually abusing them as teens, their lawyer said.
The accusations bring to 20 the number of men who allege Fitzpatrick molested them from the 1960s to the 1990s, The Boston Globe reported Monday.
Among others were two men who said in December Fitzpatrick, who died in 2005 at age 76, had sexually abused them as teens at Fenway Park, the newspaper said.
Two of the accusers had served as bat boys for visiting teams at Memorial Stadium, the former home of the Baltimore Orioles
The statute of limitations has expired for criminal and civil litigation. But the alleged victims have filed lawsuits seeking $5 million in damages from the Red Sox, the Globe said. The former Baltimore batboys are also seeking $5 million from the Orioles for allegedly failing to prevent the abuse.
Fitzpatrick, who had worked for the Red Sox from 1944 to 1991, was convicted in Florida in 2002 of attempting to sexually assault four youths at spring training between 1975 and 1989. He was serving a 10-year suspended sentence at the time of his death.
The Red Sox settled a $3.15 million suit in 2003 with seven of Fitzpatrick's alleged victims.
"The Red Sox have always viewed the actions of Mr. Fitzpatrick to be abhorrent,'' said Daniel Goldberg, the team's lawyer. "When the team, under a previous ownership group, became aware of the allegations against Mr. Fitzpatrick in 1991, he was promptly relieved of his duties."
Goldberg declined comment on the most recent allegations.
A spokeswoman for the Orioles said the team notified Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's office about the allegations but declined further comment.
