"Their behavior, especially the injury to a fan, was unacceptable” - When Tom Hicks apologized after Frank Francisco was charged with felony battery
Late into the 2004 season, Texas Rangers relief pitcher Frank Francisco instantly saw his name in the headline, for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested after throwing a chair into the stands that injured an Oakland Athletics fan.
The incident stemmed after Alfonso Soriano hit his second home run of the night to tie the game up. Words were said, and the fans got involved, resulting in a wild fight.
Commissioner Bud Selig was concerned about everyone involved. He was frustrated to see something like this when the 2004 season was one to remember with Barry Bonds chasing 700 home runs. Selig was critical of how Francisco responded, via ESPN.
"Obviously I can never condone under any circumstances players engaging in any kind of obstruction or violence. Here we are having our greatest season in a long time and I hate for this to happen," Selig said.
Francisco launched a plastic chair that the ballboys use that broke Jennifer Bueno's nose. Her lawyer, Gary Gwilliam, was also critical of how Francisco reacted.
"Fans are fans and they have a right to have some fun and do some badgering if they want," Gwilliam said.
It led to the Rangers' owner, Tom Hicks issuing an apology. He, alongside multiple others, could not defend what Frank Francisco did.
"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" Hicks said.
Frank Francisco was not the only player to assault fans during a game
Frank Francisco is not the only player to get tired of rowdy fans. Many fans will recall during the 2000 season when a handful of Los Angeles Dodgers players were suspended for their actions at Wrigley Field.
Bullpen catcher Chad Kreuter was hit in the head and had his hat stolen by a fan, and the Dodgers bullpen was not having it. They quickly jumped into the stands. Afterward, 19 players and coaches were suspended.
It was not just players and fans that got into it, either. Some coaches have been attacked over the years, like Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa did in 2002.
Gamboa was attacked by a shirtless father-son duo who were then arrested. Unsurprisingly, the father-son duo have had trouble staying on the right side of the law over the years.