Man charged after allegedly punching ex-Cardinal Ford

FENTON, Mo. (AP) - Prosecutors say a white St. Louis-area man was driven by racism when he allegedly punched former Cardinals outfielder Curt Ford.

St. Louis County prosecutors have charged 37-year-old James Street of Fenton with felony third-degree assault motivated by discrimination.

The 54-year-old Ford, who is black, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he was walking into a Fenton convenience store Wednesday when he was punched in the face without warning after Street shouted racial slurs at him.

Online court records don't show whether Street has an attorney. He doesn't have a listed home phone number.

Ford was drafted by the Cardinals in the 1981 amateur draft. He played for St. Louis from mid-1985 to May 1990, finishing his career with a .245 career average.