MLB player arrested

This is not original reporting. All statistics have been compiled from The Washington Post.

A brawl erupted between fans and Texas Rangers players in a game on Monday, September 13 against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum, which resulted in Rangers rookie pitcher Frank Francisco being arrested and charged with aggravated battery for heaving a chair into the stands.

The plastic chair struck a man in the stands and then ricochet, hitting a woman in the face. The woman's nose was bloodied and broken. Francisco, 25, was arrested preceding the incident and was charge with aggravated assault, a felony. The Washington Post reports he was released two hours after his arrest on $15,000 bail and will appear in court this week.

The outbreak began during the bottom of the ninth as Rangers third baseman, Hank Blalock, stepped up to bat. The commotion began in the bullpen as Rangers pitchers ran into the stands, which caused the game to be stopped as the Rangers dugout subsequently emptied.

Francisco picked up a plastic chair from the bullpen and threw it into the stands striking the two fans. Francisco had already pitched and been taken out of the game.

Rangers players and personnel accuse fans of taunting the players and taking the comments too far. The Washington Post reports that Rangers manager said fans had "crossed the line," while The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that an unnamed source said fans yelled racial slurs at Francisco.

Meanwhile, Rangers owner Tom Hicks apologized for the incident and condemned the action of his players. "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," said Hicks in The Washington Post.

Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into the incident, which is one of many recent altercations between players and fans. Just last season a fan was arrested for throwing a cell phone at Rangers outfielder Carl Everett in a game at the Coliseum. In 2002, Chicago White Sox fans attacked Kansas City Royal's first base coach Tom Gamboa in the middle of a game at Comiskey Park.