Imitation Shane Spencer Fools ESPN Radio

The "real" Shane Spencer back in the day.

It's not the first time a radio station has been fooled by a caller, but when that caller is supposedly a former New York Yankees World Series champion, it gets a little more attention.

ESPN Radio station 104.5 out of Albany, NY played the fool when someone claiming to be Shane Spencer spoke with host Mike Lindsley. The faux Spencer claimed to have "dabbled" in steroids, made derisive comments about former teammate Mariano Rivera, and shared his opinion on Roger Clemens.

The real Spencer found out about the interview from family and friends and quickly alerted the media to the charade.

“In response to an interview that ESPN Radio 104.5 FM host Mike Lindsley claims to have done with me on (Monday) afternoon, I would like to set the record straight that I did not participate in any such interview. Someone called into the station claiming to be me and spoke on my behalf regarding some very sensitive topics surrounding baseball. This caller spoke as me about topics ranging from steroids, to my time with the New York Yankees, Roger Clemens, and my feelings about the great Mariano Rivera.

“I am outraged that someone would do this and at the same time disappointed that the station believed it to be me despite not coming from the contact information they had for me.”¹

There's a good chance someone behind the scenes could end up on the unemployment line due to improper vetting of the guest. The real Spencer is currently a coach for the Somerset Patriots. It's hard to believe that it's 15 years since Spencer burst on the scene with one late Summer home run after another.

1 -  New York Daily News