Black Eye for Baseball.

[Snarf]

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

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1881073

Frank Francisco should be supended for the rest of the regular season and the start of next year seeing the Rangers are not going to make the playoffs. No matter what the fans said or did, he should not have thrown a chair in the stands. I hope the woman sues him too.

[mighty peace warrior]

this is beyond a "black eye for baseball" that player should go to jail, that is rediculous. I dont give a rats ass how much japping the fan did, throwing a chair at them?

[bad radio]

What a moron. This isn't WWE.

[ckg68]

I agree.

Look,when you go to a game and purchase a ticket,it does give you the right to cheer....boo....run your smack(but not in a way that violates team,league & stadium regulations),etc. Were the actions of that group mentioned kinda dancing the line? Unless they were throwing things on the field(and the piece doesn't mention it),no.

MPW:Let's put it this way...I'll be surprised if the guy spends even 1 night in jail. Todd Bertuzzi hasn't gone into the slam yet for what he did to Steve Moore;I doubt Francisco will either.

Carl...

[EricStratton]

He was arrested last night and charged. His teammates bailed him out.

[BigPapi]

Stupid A**hole!!!

[Merk]

Idiot!


But lets not forget here that the fan is not innocent. I saw the interview w/ him on ESPN and he said he was just chanting "your going to loose" w/ no provanity. uumm Bull****, he said somthing that really tweaked that pitcher.

[ckg68]

He was arrested last night and charged. His teammates bailed him out.

Fair enough. I'm referring to when this case goes through the justice system. If it happens THEN,I'll be surprised.

BillsFan:sorry,but if you're a professional athlete,you HAVE to keep your head about you if someone's running smack they don't like. If you can't,you're in the wrong business and need to find another line of work. Now,if that same person was physically threatening the player(got on the field,etc.)I'd have no problem if the player laid the smackdown on him. You don't know if the person intends to do you harm.

Carl...

[bad radio]

MPW:Let's put it this way...I'll be surprised if the guy spends even 1 night in jail. Todd Bertuzzi hasn't gone into the slam yet for what he did to Steve Moore;I doubt Francisco will either.

Carl...Ther is a difference, though. Bertuzzi vs. Moore was on the ice between two guys playing the game. Bertuzzi didn't grab a fan and slam his face into the ice, it was another professional hockey player.

You've GOT to keep yourself under control. That's what this boils down to. When you go into the opposition's house, you better expect to get berated. It's part of the game, and it's especially part of baseball history.

Back in the early years, fans would throw things at players. And I'm not talking empty Coke cans, I'm talking about rocks and bottles and other potentially dangerous objects. But the players considered that part of the game. Yes it was a different time, but still - a baseball game was war back then. If this was 1920 and a player jumped into the seats, he'd probably be beaten to a sludgy pulp.

Of course, I don't think anyone should be throwing things at players but I do think - if the ballpark has a code of conduct, you follow it. If you cross the line, you get removed. If you're a player and a fan crosses the line, you DO NOT throw chairs. You either retaliate verbally or you let security know about it. But you should always expect a certain amount of abuse when you play on someone else's field.

[John]

Idiot!


But lets not forget here that the fan is not innocent. I saw the interview w/ him on ESPN and he said he was just chanting "your going to loose" w/ no provanity. uumm Bull****, he said somthing that really tweaked that pitcher.


I agree. This does not justify throwing a chair - nothing does - that is just wrong. But the fan is not innocent in this matter. The incident wouldn't have happened if it weren't started by the fan.

[mighty peace warrior]

Idiot!


But lets not forget here that the fan is not innocent. I saw the interview w/ him on ESPN and he said he was just chanting "your going to loose" w/ no provanity. uumm Bull****, he said somthing that really tweaked that pitcher.
i dont care what you say to someone that is not an acceptable excuse for hitting someone, let alone with a chair.

[The REAL Sabres]

I think that Doug Brocail took the brunt of the vocals from the fan(s).