Baseball player in critical condition after New York drive-by shooting

[September 21, 2015]  By Katie Reilly
 
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former minor league baseball player who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics is in critical condition on Saturday after being wounded in a drive-by shooting early Friday morning in a New York suburb, police said.

Michael Nolan of Yonkers, New York, was shot once in the head and twice in the body while he was standing with a group of people in a Burger King parking lot, said Yonkers Police spokesman Lieutenant Patrick McCormack.

He said the suspect was in a white or yellow sedan, but the investigation was underway and the motive for the shooting was not yet known. No arrests have been made.

"It was possibly a dispute prior to this incident, and it’s unknown if the victim was the intended target or possibly even a mistaken target," McCormack said.

Local media reported that Nolan, 23, was standing outside his car when he was shot. Nolan had posted on Twitter in recent weeks about driving a Mercedes-Benz.

He was taken to an area medical center for treatment.

"I visited Mike’s hospital bedside and sadly witnessed a bright young man fighting for his life. I ask our Yonkers family to pray for one of our own and his family during this difficult time," Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement.

A left-handed pitcher, Nolan was signed by the Oakland Athletics in June 2014 and assigned to the team's rookie league but was placed on the team's restricted list in July 2014.

An Oakland Athletics spokesman said Nolan did not pitch this year because he retired prior to this season and took another job.

(Reporting by Katie Reilly)

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