Texas Rangers-Oakland game turns ugly when player hurls chair at fans

[redqueen]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-rangers-fanfight&prov=ap&type=lgns

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Texas reliever Frank Francisco threw a chair into the right field box seats, hitting two spectators in the head Monday night, as Oakland Athletics fans taunted the visitors after a two-out, top-of-the-ninth homer tied the game.

One of the fans, an unidentified woman, was bloodied and her nose was broken.

(snip)

With two outs in the ninth, Texas Ranger Alfonso Soriano tied the game at 5 on his second homer of the night. Moments later, with the Rangers' Hank Blalock at the plate, the Texas bench and bullpen cleared.

``Tonight, it went over the line,'' Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. ``It was a real break from the normal trash you hear from fans. We've had problems about every time we've come here.''
--------

I just love how Buck blames the fans... :eyes:

[swag]

1. 'roid rage, Texas style.

Go A's fans!

[mom cat]

2. This reminds me of their former oWner.

[redqueen]

3. Yeah... it's all *his* fault

;)

:hi:

[Missy Vixen]

4. I'm betting my opinion won't be popular

>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Texas reliever Frank Francisco threw a chair into the right field box seats, hitting two spectators in the head Monday night, as Oakland Athletics fans taunted the visitors after a two-out, top-of-the-ninth homer tied the game.<

Francisco should be placed on waivers. Immediately. He should also have been arrested last night for assault and battery. Any MLB player who thinks it's appropriate to throw a chair into a crowd of people, no matter WHAT their comments were, shouldn't be playing major league baseball. He is damn lucky he didn't kill the woman who was hit with the chair; the news report I read stated that she was struck in the temple. What if that chair had hit someone's child?

It is unbelievable to me that Oakland's police department didn't think this was worthy of filing charges as of yet.

Speaking of "taking out the trash" -- it sounds like he needs to be out of the game. His coach needs to keep his mouth shut as well.

Julie

[redqueen]

8. I was thinking the same thing

Why the hell wasn't he arrested?

But then I remembered, he's an athlete. Different set of laws when they're involved, it seems.

:grr:

[GOPisEvil]

5. No matter how ugly verbal abuse gets, an athlete can't react like that.

Call security and ask that particularly offensive fans be removed, re-seated or calmed down, but you can't hurl chairs at people.

Francisco is staring an assault charge and lawsuit square in the face. If I were him, I'd just hand this lady my checkbook and accept some punishment.

[yellowcanine]

6. Uh Buck, throwing chairs is "over the line" not yelling. I believe it is

assault. Not only is your guy going to get a big fine and suspension but he could be charged wirh criminal assault and he has just bought a civil lawsuit as well. Nice going by your guy.

[Blue_Tires]

7. HFS that was CRAZY!!!! n/t

[Bossy Monkey]

9. He's been arrested for aggravated assault

Link on edit; reported on CourtTV

Edit: Here ya go
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RANGERS_FAN_FIGHT?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Pitcher Arrested After Oakland Brawl

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Texas relief pitcher Frank Francisco was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery after he threw a chair into the seats and hit two spectators when a melee broke out during a Rangers-Oakland Athletics game.

One of the fans, an unidentified woman, was bloodied and her nose was broken in Monday night's incident.

Major League Baseball's commissioner's office said Tuesday morning that it was investigating. Francisco was cooperative after he was taken into custody, Oakland Police Department deputy chief Peter Dunbar said.

(more)

[Maestro]

10. As a Rangers fan

here is a statement at their website.

http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tex/news/tex_press_release.jsp?ymd=20040914&content_id=857733&vkey=pr_tex&fext=.jsp

And crap if we didn't lose too. Oh well, we have far exceeded expectations this year.

[redqueen]

12. He needs to crack the whip on Buck

Even insinuating that the behavior of the fans was in any way even partially to blame for this is indefensible.

[tcfrogs]

17. Wow, there is another Ranger fan out there!

Howdy! :hi:

[Maestro]

21. Long suffering

but I like the potential of these young guys, but Francisco lost it last night. I will give him some due though if he hit a freeper. Sorry, don't mean to advocate violence.

[AngryAmish]

11. Life imitates professional wrestling again

[jakefrep]

13. Amazing....

...the player will likely receive a lengthy fine and suspension, yet the fan(s) who provoked the altercation will get off scott-free. Some folks think buying a ticket entitles them to act like drunken fratboys without being held accountable.

[redqueen]

14. He broke that woman's nose!

And what if she wasn't one of the ones acting up?

This is indefensible... simply wrong in every way.

If you want to advocate rowdy fans being reprimanded by the managers of the venue, that's one thing... but to act as if the people hurt were in any way responsible for this jackass throwing a chair at innocent bystanders...

:grr:

[jakefrep]

15. I have no problem...

...with the player being punished for what he did. But I'm sick and tired of the mentality that the fan, no matter how drunk, stupid, disorderly, and belligerent, is always right and immune from any sort of punishment.

[redqueen]

16. I tend to agree

Throwing batteries packed in snowballs warrant some kind of punishment, that's for sure.

[gratuitous]

19. Well, sound waves are awfully damaging

I mean, a yelling person could, I don't know, make a multimillionaire feel . . . ooshy or something. The guy should have personally followed the chair into the stands and duke it out mano-a-mano with the woman he hit. That'd learn her.

[tcfrogs]

20. Not defending Frank Francisco, but he only makes $330,000

He's a rookie

http://dugoutdollars.blogspot.com/2003_11_09_dugoutdollars_archive.html

[Blue_Tires]

22. in that case

then stadium security/A's management is negligent for not showing the assclowns the exit...it never should have escalated to this point...

[tcfrogs]

18. A poll from ESPN on this issue - take it if you would like

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=877