When former Texas Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco's temper tantrum left a fan with broken nose

In a shocking incident that took place last year, a woman named Jennifer Bueno had her nose broken when she was struck by a chair thrown by Texas Rangers reliever Frank Francisco. The aftermath of this distressing event unfolded further today as Bueno filed a lawsuit against Francisco, two of his teammates, and the Texas Rangers organization.

The lawsuit, filed by Jennifer Bueno, seeks damages for battery, assault, and negligence. Alongside Francisco, Texas pitchers Doug Brocail and Carlos Almanzar are named as defendants, along with the Texas Rangers Baseball Company and Staff Pro Inc., the security company employed by the Oakland Athletics during the game.

When approached for comment, Rangers spokesman Gregg Elkin stated,

"As a matter of policy, the organization doesn't address issues related to litigation, especially when it involves a lawsuit, which we have not seen and only heard about from news reports."

Brocail and Almanzar declined to comment on the matter, while Francisco was unavailable as he prepared for surgery scheduled for Friday. During a news conference, Jennifer Bueno's attorney, J. Gary Gwilliam emphasized that the incident was solely the fault of the players involved.

Gwilliam maintained that Jennifer's husband, Craig Bueno, did nothing to provoke the players. Craig Bueno was part of a group of fans who heckled the Texas bullpen during the game at the Coliseum on September 13, 2004.

"These were players out of control," Gwilliam asserted. "Jenny did absolutely nothing wrong. She didn't say anything to anybody, and we don't believe that Craig did anything wrong."

Jennifer Bueno the victim of the incident

Jennifer Bueno, while physically recovered from her injury, explained during the press conference that she still carries emotional scars. She expressed her reluctance to attend baseball games and her concerns about potential confrontations at her children's games. She has not attended any baseball games since the incident and does not anticipate doing so anytime soon.

"I never thought that I'd have to go to a game and be fearful of players attacking me, but nobody can say that won't happen, because we know now it can," she said.

She also emphasized that the occurrence would stay with her for the rest of her life while pointing to a small scar on the bridge of her nose.

Lawsuit Filed in 2005 Chair-Throwing Incident Involving Texas Rangers Reliever Frank Francisco

The main incident

Negotiations for a settlement with the Rangers were unsuccessful, according to Gwilliam. However, he did not disclose the amount sought by Bueno in the lawsuit, noting a significant disparity between the figures discussed during the negotiations.

Francisco faced charges of misdemeanor assault, which could result in a maximum sentence of one year in county jail and three years of probation if convicted. Minkoff mentioned the possibility of considering a plea deal; however, he emphasized that Francisco's immigration status must not be endangered. Francisco, originally from the Dominican Republic, was in the country on a visa.

It is worth noting that Francisco, who did not appear in court, was scheduled to undergo season-ending ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow the following day.

The incident raised concerns about player conduct and stadium security, highlighting the impact of such incidents on the mental, physical, and emotional states of the victims involved.