JOBA CHAMBERLAIN LOOK-A-LIKE FACES CHARGES

JOBA CHAMBERLAIN LOOK-A-LIKE FACES CHARGES
USED YANK'S IDENTITY TO SCORE GIRLS, DRINKS
By PERRY CHIARAMONTE and JEREMY OLSHAN
The real Joba ChamberlainLast updated: 5:30 pm
September 4, 2008
Posted: 3:23 pm
September 4, 2008

A New Jersey screwball who is a dead ringer for Joba Chamberlain impersonated the Yankees pitcher in order to improve his stats with the ladies while scoring free food and drinks along the way, police said yesterday.

Ryan Ward, 29, of Asbury Park, was taken out of the game on Aug. 13, his two-week run of free drinks, Jersey-girl phone numbers, and autographs allegedly cut short by a failed attempt to snag free bagels.

Ward was charged with impersonation and theft of services, Belmar police officials said.

The phony Yankee made the rounds of Belmar and other Jersey shore towns for two weeks, racking up dozens of free drinks and Jersey girl phone numbers, residents and business owners said.

"He came in and said, 'Do you know who I am?'" Don Weston, manager of Belmar Bagel Café said. "We had three girls working and one of them gave him her number. We also had him sign a bunch of things."

Ward even managed to fool a Spring Lakes Heights police officer, another cop told The Post.

"He had him totally fooled into buying him drinks," the officer said. "We have all been having a pretty good laugh about it here."

Ward went into a Belmar real estate office and told a broker he was Chamberlain and wanted to buy a house for his father. For some reason, he also told the broker he had just won the lottery.

At Sports Nut Cards and Collectibles, Ward told manager Don Jones the truth.

"By the time he came here, the word was out he was a phony," Jones said. "He admitted it. He said he was doing it to get girls and he was successful with it."

Ward signed his best Chamberlain autograph, which based on real collectibles at the store looked nothing like the real thing.

Chamberlain has reportedly said he had been told about his imposter, and was glad more serious crimes had not been committed in his name.