The game went to hell when they started allowing women to watch.
Although I do feel like the entire thing is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overblown (take a peek at the New York tabloids), I don't think fans have the right to interfere with a player or even a ball. Your point was valid, that people these days would have a hissy fit over the way the game was played 100 or even 50 years ago, but it's been this way for a while. In a time where every single pitch has a corporate sponsor and we have rap music blaring in between batters, we're lucky if this is all we have to deal with. How long will it be before some ******* scaredipants wants all seats at least 20 feet away from the field?
Look at the pictures from FHM that were posted in the sheff thread and tell me if he showed restraint. Had it been one guy, alone in an alley, Sheff would have attempted to beat the ever loving s*** out of him. He didn't want to go Artest style, getting tens of fans involved in something that would only lead to suspensions and lawsuits.