The man who made history by being the first to streak across Citi Field clad only in a striped animal thong has pleaded guilty to disrupting the Mets game against the Atlanta Braves back in May. And the Mets rewarded him -- sort of.
In an incident that was caught on tape and spread virally online, Craig Coakley took off his clothes and jumped onto the field naked except for the stuffed monkey wrapped around his waist. He took off from the first base side of the field and slid into second base before trying to make his escape through center field. He wasn't quite that lucky, however, as he stumbled and was dragged off by security.
Coakley today plead guilty to interfering with a professional sporting event -- a misdemeanor charge that cost him a $1,000 fine and $2,000 in civil penalties (payable to the New York Mets). He's also got to complete 20 days of community service and stay away from Citi Field for a year -- a move that may encourage more beleagured Mets fans to drop trou and run the bases.
In addition to the year-long ban, the Mets have issued a trespass notice to Coakley, which bars him from entering any of their playing venues indefinitely. Perhaps a better punishment would be to force him to attend all of the Mets remaining games.
At the time of his arrest, Coakley told police that he "didn’t think I was gonna get in so much trouble. It was a bet. My boss said he would pay me a week’s worth of salary if I did it and my lawyer told me it’s only a misdemeanor."
Sure, he'll go down in history, but was it worth it?
"The defendant’s antics have resulted in a criminal record, the paying of thousands of dollars in fines and civil penalties, and – perhaps the worse punishment for any true Mets fan – precludes him from ever again visiting Citi Field or any of the New York Mets other venues – such as KeySpan Park in Brooklyn or Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “The Queens District Attorney’s Office and the New York Mets have zero tolerance for those who interfere with the play of America’s pastime."
For those who missed the big event, here's a cleaner video captured by a fan at the game.
