11/05/24
September 14, 2004
Well, that will put the taint on an otherwise pretty enjoyable season.: No, really, thanks Frankie. Ugh.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 01:43 AM - 17 comments
I don't think Ufez is being melodramatic at all. You're right, it's not like he took out a rifle and started shooting people, but it's not like he couldn't have taken a deep breath and looked for a little perspective. You know, the perspective where it's not okay to throw chairs at people. This isn't the WWF.
posted by rocketman at 07:42 AM on September 14, 2004
I am curious what the fans could have said to make Buck say that they 'went over the line.' Obviously, no excuse for chair-throwing, but it does seem like something unusual must have happened.
posted by tieguy at 08:02 AM on September 14, 2004
Obviously, there is more to this story, but Frank Francisco had better be getting some kind of suspension for this.
posted by chicobangs at 09:02 AM on September 14, 2004
Sorry if I came off as Chicken Little there, molafson. I just think it's a shame that Frankie's tantrum is going to be the vast majority of the media's memory of the Rangers of this year. They've had a good season, much much better than anyone thought they would, and I've even heard Buck Showalter's name tossed about in Manager of the Year circles in the national press. This is what they'll remember. There's no doubt in my mind that there's more to this story. A co-worker called me right after it happened (as we were furiously rewinding and slow-moing the game on my friend's PVR trying to figure out who it was who threw the chair - at the time we couldn't even tell if it was a player, fan, or coach) - and said that there had been a bunch of hassle between the fans and the bullpen all game long. I doubt we'll ever know the *truth* truth, but I imagine both sides are somewhat culpable. And yes, chico, he will be suspended. Local radio has guessed at least 5 games.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:29 AM on September 14, 2004
I'd figure that heaving a chair Springer-style at a person in the stands is probably going to get more than 5 games. It's hard to take it lightly when they showed the picture of the woman with blood running down the front of her face. I'm thinking 15 games, with an appeal down to 10 games.
posted by grum@work at 11:17 AM on September 14, 2004
You know for all the talk of the fans being a potential security threat to the players it seems the players carry a certain edge as well. It is hard to imagine what the fan might have said but you don't poke a wounded animal with a stick and you should be careful chiding athletes who are paid to operate at a certain level of frenzy. you said taint.
posted by geekyguy at 11:34 AM on September 14, 2004
OT :: A good buddy's bandmate once spoofed a DMB song with the chorus going something like 'The taint between...' Bring back 3rd Street Project!!!!
posted by garfield at 12:05 PM on September 14, 2004
Video from mlb.com (with highlighting of who threw the chair and it's path) It is hard to imagine what the fan might have said but you don't poke a wounded animal with a stick and you should be careful chiding athletes who are paid to operate at a certain level of frenzy. Excuse me? These are baseball pitchers, not offensive linemen or hockey defensemen. They weren't even in the game at the time. There is no "frenzy" involved here at all.
posted by grum@work at 12:29 PM on September 14, 2004
OK - all things being equal that did look pretty funny. 20-odd Rangers trying to hold back Brocail and then ZING!Having said that, I hope the woman sues and wins. Especially with ticket prices constantly rising. 'I paid what and got hit in the face with a chair?' Oh, and I do think from time to time that the fan (modern or not) can be a right fucking asshole who feels entitled to say and do whatever he/she wants as some kind of inallieable freedom because they paid to get in. I really wonder what that guy said to piss off Frank the Tank. He wasn't even in the bullpen when Brocail got into it. He had already pitched the 7th.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:48 PM on September 14, 2004
We have no idea what was said, but fans being jerks goes with the territory of being paid $1m+/yr. You suck it up and take it, and maybe take comfort in knowing you have more bank than that fan. But throwing a chair? Breaking someone's nose (I'm sure he wasn't trying to do that - but it's got to be a distinct possibility when you heave a heavy object into a crowd of people)? He deserves more than a 10 game suspension. He also deserves the assault charge. And he deserves to be sued for a probably stupid amount of money. Relief pitchers - we pitch one inning, maybe 2, 4 is a rough day and our skin is so thin you can see our lack of talent shining forth.
posted by kokaku at 12:55 PM on September 14, 2004
There should have been more security as the Rangers requested. And Oakland fans can be real a-holes (although I usually save the generalization for Raiders fans. Not A's fans.) But there's no excuse for being a big baby and throwing a temper tantrum. I usually think lawsuits for injury are frivilous, but in this case, it's probably warrented. What a big, fat baby.
posted by aacheson at 01:30 PM on September 14, 2004
There should have been more security as the Rangers requested. And Oakland fans can be real a-holes (although I usually save the generalization for Raiders fans. Not A's fans.) But there's no excuse for being a big baby and throwing a temper tantrum. I usually think lawsuits for injury are frivilous, but in this case, it's probably warrented. What a big, fat baby.
posted by aacheson at 01:30 PM on September 14, 2004
See, I'm so important that I post it twice!
posted by aacheson at 01:30 PM on September 14, 2004
inalienable. you made me look it up.
posted by garfield at 01:34 PM on September 14, 2004
I'm a Rangers fan, and the organization hasn't received a black eye this big since Lenny Randle sucker-punched Manager Frank Lucchesi in the '70s. I'd love to ask a question for Buck Showalter or any other apologist on the team talking about abusive fans: What verbal abuse from fans could possibly justify throwing a metal chair into a crowd of people?
posted by rcade at 12:30 PM on September 16, 2004
Don't be so melodramatic. It's not like he took out a rifle and started shooting people.