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[Infidel]

Probably a bunch of 'rats hassling these guys about being from Bush country. Only in Kalifornia...


Fox News

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

OAKLAND, Calif. — Texas reliever Frank Francisco (search) threw a chair into the right field box seats, hitting two spectators in the head, as Oakland A's 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 in the incident Monday.

Major league baseball's commissioner's office said Tuesday morning that it was investigating.

With two outs in the ninth, Texas Ranger (search) 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 on her left temple.


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.

Oakland police and Rangers officials did not return calls Tuesday morning.

Brocail declined to 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.

The teams meet again Tuesday night in Oakland.
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Chris

[NightMgr]

Someone with more information on ticket prices can help me with this....

2 Seats by the Bull Pen... $200

12 Beers to build up your courage to taunt players.....$60

Lawsuit Judgement from the Texas Rangers..... Priceless

[David R Gold]

This could get good. We have many Ranger fans in this forum. We have plenty of Bay Area listeners.

I must say, Oakland sports fans have been the subject of my concern for awhile now. There is a lot of nonsense going down in both A's and Raiders games.

Having said that. Pros don't attack fans. Period. Francisco will be busted and rightfully so. Just ignore the creeps or refuse to go out for the next inning until the creeps are dealt with. Racial slurs?

[joe]

Sure, the fans by the bullpen may have been more rowdy than normal, but there is no excuse for the player's reaction. Tell a fan to shut up, then apologize for it later, but throwing a chair is out of the question. I was watching the game last night Tom Grieve admitted he didn't know, but I had the impression the fans through something into the bullpen after the Rangers tied the game.
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All comments, opinions, sarcasm, and insults are according to King Joe (accurately nicknamed by Gary)...aka KJV

[Infidel]

The Raiders games are downright scary. I won't even go anymore.
_________________
Chris

[David R Gold]

She hit the jackpot. If I was married to her I'd trade her for a player to be named later. SF Chronicle

Injured A's fan, husband defend heckling of Rangers
- LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, September 15, 2004




The woman whose nose was broken when Texas reliever Frank Francisco threw a chair into the stands said Wednesday she will not decide whether to sue the Rangers until after prosecutors and baseball officials complete their investigation.

Jennifer Bueno, 41, with a large white bandage covering her nose and purple rings under her eyes, and her husband, Craig, appeared at a news conference with their attorney, who said they plan to seek compensation for her injuries.

"We definitely feel the Texas Rangers are responsible for this and that they should pay for this," personal injury lawyer Gary Gwilliam said.

Prosecutors said they need more time to investigate before formally charging Francisco, who was booked by police for felony aggravated assault. An arraignment scheduled for Wednesday afternoon was postponed.

Francisco showed up 20 minutes early for his initial court appearance, trying to avoid photographers by holding his head in his hands as he sat in the hallway. He talked quietly with his agent, Richard Thompson, and a friend, Ray Ramirez, and made no comment to reporters before entering the courtroom.

[kentbrewer]

This opens the flood gates for player harrassing. "Taunt a pro, win a prize!"

[David R Gold]

Remember the movie "The Fortune Cookie?" Walter Matheau and Tony Randall. Matheau plays the lawyer attempting to scam the Cleveland Browns when his brother in law is run over on the sidelines as a CBS cameraman. Randall is not hurt badly. But, Matheau the trial lawyer wants to cash in bigtime. SF Chron

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OAKLAND
A's fan whose wife was hit defends taunts
Prosecutors haven't decided whether to file charges in chair-throwing incident
- Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, September 16, 2004



An Oakland Athletics fan whose heckling of the Texas Rangers led to a wild melee in the stands defended his jeering on Wednesday and said his behavior didn't justify his wife getting her nose broken by a chair hurled by Texas pitcher Frank Francisco.

Flanked by their attorneys, Craig Bueno and his wife, Jennifer, made their first public statements regarding Monday's imbroglio at Network Associates Coliseum, which has captured national attention and prompted a criminal investigation by Oakland police and an inquiry by Major League Baseball.

The couple's news conference, attended by a throng of media, came just hours before Francisco appeared in an Oakland courtroom after being videotaped heaving a folding chair into the crowd, leaving Jennifer Bueno's face bloodied and her nose broken.

The relief pitcher posted $15,000 bail shortly after being arrested, immediately following the game, on suspicion of felony aggravated battery, but prosecutors have not filed charges. A court hearing is scheduled for next month.

Craig Bueno, 42, a Hayward Fire Department battalion chief, said he and his wife are A's season-ticket holders who enjoy rooting for the home team. He acknowledged razzing the Rangers and insisted that he didn't use profanity or racial epithets or say anything out of the ordinary.

"No fans entered the field of play. Nothing was thrown," he said. "You call the guy a bum, you make fun of their ability, but no profanity, nothing like that.

"It's a part of the game. It's an American tradition. I'm going to give the team every advantage I can get."

Jennifer Bueno, 41, appearing shaken and with a bandage on her nose and bruises on her eyes, said that her husband did nothing wrong and that Rangers players attacked them without reason.

"I was scared," she said. "They were climbing over (the wall into the stands). I thought we were all going to get beaten, trampled. I was fearful for my life, even."

Bueno said she has a fractured nose and occasionally feels dizzy.

"I have stitches on my nose, right in the center of my face," she said. "I'm still getting checked for possible concussion."

Their attorney, J. Gary Gwilliam of Oakland, said the couple is holding off on deciding whether to file a civil lawsuit until Oakland police complete their investigation.

"We're not here to rattle sabers or threaten things," he said.

Still, Gwilliam said blame for the incident lies squarely with the Rangers, noting that, "Pro players are paid to take it."

The personal injury lawyer also blamed Rangers management for the incident, likening the situation to the Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal in Iraq.

"It goes to the top," he said.

Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Wednesday, "I think we offered to help with their medical expenses, but we were unable to contact them. The next thing I know, they're holding press conferences and appearing on television and hiring litigious lawyers."

About the possibility of facing a lawsuit, Hicks said, "We live in a very litigious society, so I'm not surprised at all. The Texas Rangers (organization) will defend itself vigorously."

As for the comparison to the Iraqi prison scandal, Hicks said, "Those comments are so insane, I will not comment on them."

Bueno said that he directed a comment along the lines of "Who's going to take the loss?" toward the Rangers bullpen and heckled Rangers relief pitcher Doug Brocail. Someone on the team "said something about my mother," Bueno said, and the taunts degenerated from there.

Asked if he made a derogatory comment about Brocail's mother, Bueno said, "That's not true."

The couple has 14-year-old twin boys and a 13-year-old son. Craig Bueno, who coaches football and wrestling, said that he too has been jeered and that he doesn't heckle at amateur or youth games.

Bueno said he was surprised the Rangers reacted to his taunts, noting that most opposing players ignore jeers and won't even "sign a hat for you."

"It's almost unbelievable, almost surreal to see professionals" react the way they did, he said.

Across town at Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, Francisco, clad in a suit and a pink striped tie, arrived 20 minutes early for his court appearance and tried, without success, to avoid news photographers by holding his head in his hands.

He declined to comment as he walked to the courtroom with his attorney and his New York agent, Richard Thompson, himself a former major-league pitcher.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Nieto said the police investigation is continuing and a decision whether to file charges would be announced at a Oct. 29 hearing.

Outside court, Francisco's attorney, Richard Minkoff of Oakland, said his client was mobbed by A's fans, but he declined to comment when asked if his client threw a chair during the melee.

"He said nothing to anybody. People did say direct things to him. There were hostile comments made to the bullpen when the game was in process," Minkoff said.

"Frankie was in the dugout. He went out to protect his mates. He was pushed in, right against a two-foot fence with fans all over him.

"He was grabbed, hard and forcefully on his left wrist. He didn't see who did it. Fortunately, it's not his pitching hand, and he was able to get free," Minkoff said.

The attorney said he and prosecutors are still investigating what happened and the full story has not yet been told.

"There are a lot of facts that have not come out," Minkoff said. "There are a lot of things that haven't been brought forward."

As for the Buenos, they may not be attending any A's games soon.

"I'm certainly not going to do anything that will endanger my family," Craig Bueno said.

Jennifer Bueno said she'll return "just when I feel comfortable. I don't feel comfortable now."

[David R Gold]

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Francisco suspended for remainder of season
-
Friday, September 17, 2004



(09-17) 18:26 PDT ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) --

Texas Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco was suspended for the rest of the season and fined Friday for throwing a chair that hit a woman and broke her nose during a game at Oakland earlier this week.

Francisco appealed the suspension, which will last no less than 16 regular-season games if upheld, said Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline. Lawyers were discussing whether Francisco would start serving the penalty while the appeal is pending, which would be unusual for a baseball discipline case.

"It's obvious that there was going to be discipline, and major league baseball made its call," general manager John Hart said. "I know that they put in their time and did their investigations. And as a club, we're going to have to live with it."

The suspension is among the harshest assessed by the commissioner's office for on-field conduct in recent decades, trailing only the 30-day suspension given Cincinnati manager Pete Rose in 1988 for pushing umpire Dave Pallone.

"I don't feel good about it, but whatever they say, I have to take it," Francisco said. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Pitcher Doug Brocail was suspended for seven games, and reliever Carlos Almanzar and hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo were each suspended for five games, and all were fined. Brocail and Almanzar appealed, meaning the penalties cannot start until after a hearing before Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.

Jaramillo's suspension was scheduled to begin Friday night against Anaheim. Almanzar declined comment.

[David R Gold]

Oakland Tribune
SOURCE
Rowdy image hurts Coliseum
But most fans say stadium is safe despite highly publicized incidents


By Paul T. Rosynsky
STAFF WRITER

Sunday, October 03, 2004 - OAKLAND -- Depending on who you talk to, there are two Coliseums in Oakland.

One is where you'll find docile, laid-back Oakland A's fans who don't have to fear for their safety or worry that their families will be subjected to unruly behavior.

The other is where you're likely to encounter too many drunken and loutish fans -- mostly at Oakland Raiders games, but also at A's games -- spewing profanities or flashing their breasts to fellow revelers.

Regardless of which view is more accurate, the recent chair-throwing incident involving Texas Rangers players and A's fans, coupled with the obligatory camera shots of the Black Hole and constant reports of rowdiness and fighting at Raiders games, have resurrected questions about security at Oakland's major sports venue. "Sometimes Oakland just gets a bad rap," said Dari Blackwell, who has been taking her 11-year-old son to A's games since he was a baby. "Whenever you get a bunch of different backgrounds and throw them together, there is always potential for problems. But it happens everywhere, in every major league stadium."

Jim Snider, 61, of Castro Valley, agrees. "I haven't really had any problems at all. It's mostly isolated incidents," he said.

Maybe so, but the focus turned on safety again a couple weeks ago when Hayward Fire Battalion Chief Craig Bueno's relentless heckling sparked a confrontation with the Texas Rangers bullpen that spurred relief pitcher Frank Francisco to throw a chair into the stands, hitting Bueno's wife and breaking her nose.

That incident and last year's tossing of a cellphone at a Rangers outfielder have led some critics to question how effectively police and stadium security officers patrol the 60,000-seat facility.

For the most part, however, fans say they feel safe at A's and Raiders games, although the football team definitely draws a rougher crowd.

Stadium officials defend Coliseum security, pointing out that the publicized incidents are caused by a small percentage of unruly fans who spoil what is by and large a safe and friendly environment.

Although the number of arrests at the Coliseum have risen from 130 in 2002 to 184 last year, Oakland Police Lt. David Kozicki insisted the complex remains a safe spot to bring your family.

"Better than 99.9 percent of the people who go to the Coliseum do what they are supposed to do. They enjoy the game and don't get in trouble," said Kozicki, director of the department's Coliseum security force. "But it's the one bad apple that spoils the bunch."

The department has aggressively gone after revelers who violate what some might consider minor infractions, he said. People who smoke in the wrong place or get caught scalping tickets are usually removed from the complex property, Kozicki said.

In addition, he said, if police see someone extremely drunk they will jail that person for the night.

Security at Raiders games is shared by both the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, who together provide about 150 officers per game.

"We are very visible, everyone knows we are there, and people know that we are going to take action," said Capt. Rich Lucia of the Sheriff's Department.

Still, he acknowledged, it is hard to be everywhere, especially when 60,000 fans are packed in the stadium.

That's why people also need to police themselves, said Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele, a member of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority.

"I have a lot of faith that the fans can do it themselves," Steele said. "It's just like a neighborhood alert. You see something wrong and you should report it."