Hey, we want some money too!
Posted on 09/16/2004 6:11:49 AM PDT by sinkspur
Frankie Francisco deserves mercy
By RANDY GALLOWAY
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FORT WORTH, Texas - Frankie has done wrong. He threw that chair.
He missed the big mouth sitting behind the bullpen, but hit the guy's wife.
Blood happened. A nose broke.
An arrest was made. Frankie had to go downtown. He posted bail.
The woman hired a lawyer. The lawyer is louder than the woman's husband. If I read him right, the Rangers' bullpen was on a meth-crazed rampage that night.
Sounds like a civil lawsuit is coming. Imagine that. It's about the money.
The commissioner of baseball has yet to speak. But Frankie will take the fall, we know that. So will other Rangers.
Media outrage is pouring in, coast to coast.
Frankie Francisco, a nice kid by all accounts, is the new bad guy of baseball.
Give him a 50-game suspension. Sixty games. Lifetime. Sportswriters are on a "hang `em high" crusade.
But I've got a better idea for Bud Selig.
Give Frankie a break. First-time offender, clean record.
It's just too bad the chair missed that punk who was doing all the mouthing, and gesturing for pitcher Doug Brocail to come on over the rail and try to take him out.
OK, you can't write that. It's not proper. Outrage against Frankie is what the media is supposed to show.
But honestly, I got no outrage.
Frankie screwed up. But stuff happens.
Mr. Selig will have to pounce. He will have to be tough, or else the media watchdogs will take a bite out of him.
But if Bud really wants to make Frankie pay a heavy price, then I suggest instead of a long suspension, he make life miserable for Frankie.
Sentence the kid to a form of local community service. Allow Frankie to continue to try to make a living in a hard game, but also place him under house arrest. Well, sorta.
Because Bud doesn't know the local landscape that well, I'm here to make suggestions.
Mr. Selig, if you want Frankie to truly regret he ever picked up that chair, sentence him to the following:
A full NBA season of sitting next to the Mavericks' P.A. man.
Polishing that stupid bell at the ballpark.
Working seven Cowboys' home games as Rowdy.
Working one Cowboys' home game as a starting cornerback.
Serving one month as a member of the Dallas City Council.
Teaching defense to Alfonso Soriano.
Raising money for Tom Hicks to pay off the first $7 million installment to George Steinbrenner.
The Mavericks' spokesman who has to explain Tariq Abdul-Wahad.
Hair stylist for Kevin Mench.
Selling season tickets for the Stars, starting today.
Explaining Bill Parcells to Julius Jones.
Drawing up a defensive game plan for the Mavericks.
Spokesman for Fox Sports Southwest, defending the network's "you really didn't see what you saw" decision Monday night. If there's no replay allowed, was there really a chair thrown?
Cup holder for Quincy Carter.
In charge of planning a victory party for the SMU football team.
I'm telling you, Bud, when it comes to Frankie, all of the above would be a "that'll teach him" lesson.
But if Mr. Selig isn't buying my plan, the next step will be to establish a "Free Frankie" fund.
Frankie will need a good defense lawyer.
I asked Jim Lane of Fort Worth on Wednesday how he would defend Frankie, after having seen all the video evidence.
"Sometimes lawyers will joke that the victim got what he deserved," Lane said. "If that chair had hit the guy instead of the woman, well ..."
But Frankie missed.
"I think I'd have to go the temporary insanity route," Lane said. "That the fan drove him crazy.
"But I might be more inclined, having seen the replays many times, to plead for mercy instead of justice."
There you have it, Mr. Selig. Frankie done wrong. But is there any mercy in your heart?
You're wrong. I'll post the stories of a couple of pitchers from other teams who say that racial slurs are a regular feature of these bullpen fans.
Have you ever been to a game at the coliseum?
Radio interview sure sounded to me like the fan was the problem. The husband admitted "they pay for season tickets just to go and heckle the players". This is in the same town where the Oakland Raiders play, and the rude and rowdy fans in that stadium are not pleasant.
The cost of season tickets isn't cheap, but that doesn't buy you the right to be an ass to all the visiting players. This same jerk is ruining the baseball game for all in his area who are subjected to the constant taunting this guy apparently only goes to the game to do. Doesn't sound like they have a favorite player or are there to enjoy the "GAME". They just pay money to go taunt.
NOTE TO MAYOR JERRY BROWN: You wouldn't let this pair pester the animals at the Oakland Zoo, why have you and your city allowed them to spend their time acting in a similar manner at the local baseball games?
Having the money to suy season tickets doesn't give you the right to behave like this. If that were the case, the biggest, baddest, most expensive vehicle on the road would rule the highways.
I'm glad I don't attend sports events where this pair attend. I would have thrown something at him myself much earlier in the evening.
I note that a significant number of FReepers seem to want to punish this guy for making too much money.
Oh, no, that was her husband? He's probably 'comforting' her by dangling the dollar carrot in front of her. Some hubby.
I briefly saw her on TV, but was unable to watch the whole thing. She really did look pained and bruised, not just like she was looking for a settlement. I think she does need something for her pain. So let's see, the hubby ducks, she gets whacked, and he gets to enjoy her pain and suffering settlement? And Frankie is still begging for mercy. Okay...
I don't watch a lot of baseball, I didn't realize he was a pitcher. At first I wondered just how hard the chair could have hit, but a pitcher throwing a chair at that relatively close distance is even more dangerous. She was hit in the temple, as I understood it, which is one of the worst places on one's head to get hit. She's lucky to be conscious and coherent.
Oh, I see...a two-tiered system...one set of laws for us regular folks, and another for the rich and famous. ""
In Oakland, there is a 2-tiered system:
One for the rowdy thugs, pimps, drug dealers, gangs and one for those of us trying to live our lives. Oakland is rapidly turning into a third world country. This "fan" was white, but he is acting like a gang member, IMO.
I wish some millionaire would break my nose in a fit of rage in front of 40,000 witnesses. Any ideas on how to make this dream a reality?
Last year, someone threw a cell phone at a player and hit him in the head.
A couple of years ago, a drunken idiot threw a firecracker that didn't quite make it to the field and hit a little kid.
Going to an A's game sounds like walking into a prison yard.
Oh, I see...a two-tiered system...one set of laws for us regular folks, and another for the rich and famous. ""
In Oakland, there is a 2-tiered system:
One for the rowdy thugs, pimps, drug dealers, gangs and one for those of us trying to live our lives. Oakland is rapidly turning into a third world country. This "fan" was white, but he is acting like a gang member, IMO.
Well, he made something like $170,000 this year. So, yeah they can REALLY fleece him.
This Oakland fan stuff is mythology.
Oakland needs to clean up its house out there.
When fan behavior causes a few forfeits, maybe they'll get the message, but I doubt it.
It's not but you just keep right on believin' that.
TWO YEARS IN JAIL for a first time offense? You've got to be kidding.
I'd love to hear what that fat cow's husband was saying that got the pitcher so riled up.
Typical Ranger pitcher, no control.
In some states an assault can get you 8-25 years. In this case there is zero doubt of guilt, given it was caught on camera and occurred in front of a stadium full of fans. I think two years is a reasonable amount of time for this man to consider the merits of controlling the violent aspect of his nature. The rest of us don't seem to have a lot of problems with throwing metal chairs at people who are sitting ducks.
What would you suggest as an alternative?
I(having actually attended pro sporting events here) will.
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