Umpire attacked during baseball game

[drapg]

Tuesday, April 15
Incident was night's fourth involving fans on field
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Associated Press


CHICAGO -- A fan came out of the stands during Tuesday night's game between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox and attacked first base umpire Laz Diaz. Security and players came to Diaz's aid and the fan was quickly taken away.

Immediately after Carlos Lee flied out to right to end the eighth inning, the fan ran on the field and tried to tackle Diaz, wrapping his arms around the umpire's legs.

It was the first appearance by the Royals in Chicago since coach Tom Gamboa was pummeled by a father and son, who came out of the stands last September.

Three times earlier Tuesday night, the game was delayed when fans ran onto the field before being tackled by security guards.

U.S. Cellular Field, formerly Comiskey Park, will host the All-Star Game on July 15.

Gamboa tried to downplay his return to the field when interviewed before the game.

"I haven't given it a thought really," he said. "Lightning doesn't strike twice."

Gamboa, 55, is now Kansas City's bullpen coach. He has tried to put the attack behind him, but one physical problem lingers from the beating.

"I have a minor hearing loss in my right ear. I was tested three times and assured it would be nothing degenerative," Gamboa said.

The boy, 15 at the time, was sentenced to five years of probation and also ordered to undergo mandatory counseling and perform 30 hours of community service.

Gamboa appeared at a sentencing hearing and suggested the boy receive probation and community service because he had already been held for a month in juvenile detention after the attack. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed with that suggestion.

The boy was arrested along with his father, William Ligue Jr., who initially pleaded innocent to charges of aggravated battery and mob action. The case is still pending.

"The most disturbing thing I've seen in baseball recently," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said Tuesday.

Gamboa, a former coach with the Chicago Cubs, reiterated that sports fans in the city shouldn't be judged by what happened to him.

"It's a great sports city and no one incident or what two guys did would tarnish that," Gamboa said.

"It's over and done with as far as I'm concerned."




Is their a break in the time-space continuum at all K.C. vs. CHW games, leading the zaniest events?

[Free Agent]

dumbass:

[Oski2005]

Gamboa says that what happened to him shouldn't be used to judge Chi town, but this incident today isn't even isolated. There have been people running out of the stands all week.

[keeley]

I was there - that was the second guy to jump the fence and run on the field. The first guy and the one pictured above were seemingly harmless buffoons just running around, waving their shirts, and generally making the gray-shirted Sox goons look stupid. The last one (guess it's the fourth one, I read... I only remember three, but who the hell is counting at that point) was the one that attacked the umpire. From our vantage point way out in left (this was just past first base up the foul line) it looked like he was going after the right fielder who made the play, but when I got home I read about this and am totally embarrassed for all White Sox fans.

I'd say what I really thought but it'd all be asterisks, but I'll just leave it at disgraceful.

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally posted by Free Agent dumbass:

Pimpley too!

[Iron McFist]

That'd make an awesome All-Star game logo.

[Oski2005]

OMG, this really could happen during the ASG. That would be pretty sad.


On an unrelated note, how do the people of Chicago feel about the name change. Comiskie seemed like a cool name to me. US Cellular, I haven't even heard of that company.

Also, what would you guys think of changing Minute Maid to T Mobile Field?

[Playercentral]

Originally posted by ima_drummer2k Pimpley too!

And he is off like a bull with gas!

[Playercentral]

Don't these fools know you will get arrested and even fined and possible jail time for doing dumb stuff like this.

[R0ckets03]

How the hell can the father in the first case plead innocent?!?!?!? Its on ****ing live television!

Dumb asses!

[Free Agent]

Looks like this is a different guy from the pic I posted earlier. I guess the first guy was just one of the other fans who ran on the field?

Seems this guy took a little well deserved beating.



Chicago police officers walk an unidentified man who attacked first base umpire Laz Diaz during a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, April 15, 2003, at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago to a waiting police car. Diaz was uninjured in the attack, which came at the first Royals game in Chicago since Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by two fans last September.

[4chuckie]

1. If the Bears need some extra tackling practice tehy should become off-season security guards at Comiskey
2. I hope these fools are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
3. Nice to see teh guy a little bloody. I'm not sur eif it was the players or police who ruffed him up but it was well deserved

[drapg]

I hope they show that picture and video of the idiot being hauled off by cops with a bloody face on every sports show this week. I can't think of a better deterrent to stop these stupid actions.

Not even morons who do this want to get beaten up that badly.

[Rocketman95]

The players should've just backed off like the dumbass ref did last year.

Just kidding.

[Buck Turgidson]

What is it about the upper Midwest (other than ungodly beer consumption by slack-jawed dip****s) that encourages this sort of behavior? Correct me if I'm wrong but haven't the past 4 instances of player/ump/fan violence been in either Chicago or Milwaukee?

Milwaukee fan attacks Bill Spiers
Dodgers & Cubbie fans go at it in the stands
CWS fans attacks coach
CWS fan attacks ump

[Chance]

You guys all jump to conclusions. Maybe that umpire had it coming. Did any of you think of that?

[RocketMan Tex]

They must be putting a secret ingredient in Heilemann's Old Style Beer.

[Free Agent]

Originally posted by Chance You guys all jump to conclusions. Maybe that umpire had it coming. Did any of you think of that?

Hey Chance,

This is off topic, but do you guys do the music jingle for EVERY commercial now on 610? You guys must be rolling in cash.

[Rocketman95]

Originally posted by Free Agent

Lost in this picture is the badass catch.

[keeley]

Originally posted by RocketMan Tex They must be putting a secret ingredient in Heilemann's Old Style Beer.

Old Style is strictly Wrigley, Comiskey's a Miller park

And I don't mind the name change, it means significant upgrades to the ballpark. It's coming along nicely but they absolutely must figure out the problem with the riffraff.

Their fences are really low especially along the first and third baselines, they could raise them but it'd take a lot of work. Another option could be a moat filled with sharks (lasers optional).

One thing that hasn't been brought up were the number of completely drunken people there. It was a Chicago doubleheader as the Cubs played in the afternoon and those days are notoriously rowdy at Comiskey. Mix in a half-price night as it was last night and you get a really interesting result.