Violence & Brawls ·
The Chair Frank Francisco Threw Into the Stands
The Rangers reliever’s chair throw broke a woman’s nose during a 2004 game in Oakland. He was arrested; the clubs disputed what had led to the confrontation.
With two outs in the ninth inning in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2004, the Texas Rangers had just tied the Athletics when their bench and bullpen cleared. During the confrontation that followed, Rangers reliever Frank Francisco threw a plastic ball-boy’s chair into the right-field box seats. It struck a man in the head, then bounced into a woman, who suffered a broken nose.
The woman was Jennifer Bueno, 41, of Livermore, her lawyer, Gary Gwilliam, said the next day. She had been attending the game with her husband, Craig. The Athletics said she was treated at a hospital for facial cuts and the broken nose. Gwilliam said she wanted Francisco prosecuted and that a civil suit was likely because she would need medical treatment.
Just before the confrontation, Alfonso Soriano’s second home run of the night had tied the score at 5–5. Hank Blalock was batting when the Texas players left the bench and bullpen. Rangers reliever Doug Brocail was seen screaming at a male spectator while teammates and bullpen coach Mark Connor restrained him. Other players also had to be held back. Francisco then threw the chair toward a lower box near the Rangers’ bullpen along the right-field line.
Security ran to the seating area, and a small section of spectators was cleared out. Athletics manager Ken Macha crossed the field to speak with Dave Rinetti, the club’s vice president of stadium operations. Umpires and managers discussed suspending the game, clearing the stands and forfeiting the game. Play resumed after 19 minutes; Oakland eventually won 7–6 in 10 innings.
After the stadium had emptied, police escorted Francisco into a car driven onto the field. He was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery, booked and released about two hours later on $15,000 bail, Oakland police spokeswoman Danielle Ashford said. Major League Baseball opened an investigation. Commissioner Bud Selig said Bob Watson, the league’s vice president of on-field operations, would determine any discipline.
The clubs disagreed about what had preceded the chair throw. Rangers manager Buck Showalter said the fans “went over the line,” describing their conduct as “a real break from the normal trash you hear from fans.” Rinetti said Oakland’s review found that the spectators had not violated the ballpark’s rules of conduct and had not used racial slurs or sworn at the players.
Showalter also said the Rangers had asked for more security in the area. Rinetti said neither he nor his security staff had received such a request. Oakland added security for the remaining games in the series, particularly around the Rangers’ bullpen and dugout.
Texas owner Tom Hicks apologized Tuesday for “the conduct of some members of our club,” without announcing any punishment. His statement did not depend on settling the argument over the spectators: “Their behavior, especially the injury to a fan, was unacceptable. Even in a difficult or abusive environment, players should never be provoked into such actions.”