OAKLAND, California
Texas reliever Frank Francisco was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery after he threw a chair into the right field box seats, hitting two spectators in the head, as Oakland A's fans taunted the visitors.
One of the fans, an unidentified woman, was bloodied and her nose was broken in the incident Monday, which happened after a two-out, top-of-the-ninth homer tied the game.
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.
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."
Texas reliever Doug Brocail was seen screaming at a male fan, and the pitcher had to be restrained by his teammates and bullpen coach Mark Connor. Others also had to be held back.
Francisco threw the chair at a fan in a lower box near the Rangers' bullpen along the right-field line. The chair hit one man in the head, then bounced and struck the woman.
Security ran to the scene and a small section of fans was cleared from their seats.
A's manager Ken Macha came across the field to speak to Dave Rinetti, vice president of stadium operations, before play resumed 19 minutes later.
There was talk between the umpires and managers of suspending the game, clearing the stands and forfeiting the game.
The Athletics won 7-6 in the 10th inning.
Rinetti said afterward that the woman was being treated at a hospital for facial cuts and a broken nose and was considering pressing charges. Francisco was escorted by police out an alternate stadium exit after the game and into a car waiting on the field. No arrests were made.
Brocail declined comment, and Francisco wasn't around the locker room afterward.
Francisco, 25, was named American League rookie of the month for August, when he was 3-0 with a 1.69 earned-run average.
credit: cnn.com
Okay, now I myself get pissed at and annoyed by those fans who attend live events and have to make jackasses of themselves by getting "too involved", if you know what I mean. The ones who cuss and swear and scream vulgarities and generally make the game unpleasant for everyone around them. But I don't believe steel chair shots to the face are the answer to the solution. Can't they start implementing some new forms of fan etiquette that allow members of security to eject a fan if they get too vocally vulgar BEFORE something like this happens? Regardless of what those fans said, though, he had no right pulling a stunt like that, and should lose his job for it. Sports are supposed to be for entertainment, not grounds for violence.
Mimi
Texas reliever Frank Francisco was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery after he threw a chair into the right field box seats, hitting two spectators in the head, as Oakland A's fans taunted the visitors.
One of the fans, an unidentified woman, was bloodied and her nose was broken in the incident Monday, which happened after a two-out, top-of-the-ninth homer tied the game.
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.
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."
Texas reliever Doug Brocail was seen screaming at a male fan, and the pitcher had to be restrained by his teammates and bullpen coach Mark Connor. Others also had to be held back.
Francisco threw the chair at a fan in a lower box near the Rangers' bullpen along the right-field line. The chair hit one man in the head, then bounced and struck the woman.
Security ran to the scene and a small section of fans was cleared from their seats.
A's manager Ken Macha came across the field to speak to Dave Rinetti, vice president of stadium operations, before play resumed 19 minutes later.
There was talk between the umpires and managers of suspending the game, clearing the stands and forfeiting the game.
The Athletics won 7-6 in the 10th inning.
Rinetti said afterward that the woman was being treated at a hospital for facial cuts and a broken nose and was considering pressing charges. Francisco was escorted by police out an alternate stadium exit after the game and into a car waiting on the field. No arrests were made.
Brocail declined comment, and Francisco wasn't around the locker room afterward.
Francisco, 25, was named American League rookie of the month for August, when he was 3-0 with a 1.69 earned-run average.
credit: cnn.com
Okay, now I myself get pissed at and annoyed by those fans who attend live events and have to make jackasses of themselves by getting "too involved", if you know what I mean. The ones who cuss and swear and scream vulgarities and generally make the game unpleasant for everyone around them. But I don't believe steel chair shots to the face are the answer to the solution. Can't they start implementing some new forms of fan etiquette that allow members of security to eject a fan if they get too vocally vulgar BEFORE something like this happens? Regardless of what those fans said, though, he had no right pulling a stunt like that, and should lose his job for it. Sports are supposed to be for entertainment, not grounds for violence.
Mimi
