# KC Royal's coach attacked by 2 fans in Chicago **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744 "2002-09-20T05:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/1 "2002-09-20T05:56:07Z")
This is a pretty wild [story](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=220919104) out of Chicago tonight. Basically, 2 crazy fans jumped out of the stands at Comiskey park during a Rolays/White Sox game and started beating the Royals’ first base coach, Tom Gamboa. Gamboa thankfully didn’t have any really serious injuries, but some significant abrasions and bruising to his face. I don’t know what to make of this story. Usually I will have some kind of hunch or idea when something like this happens, but I am just baffeled. What does everyone else’s take on this attack? Any theories as to what happened here? ---
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/2 "2002-09-20T06:16:13Z")
Sportscenter just showed footage of the attackers being put into a police car and one of them said that they did it because “He flicked us off, he got what he deserved”. I seriously doubt that Gamboa did anything at all to thse guys. My only question is if the guys really did think he flipped them off or if they just made it up to begin with. Of course even if he did flip them off it doesn’t come close to justifying them jumping him. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/3 "2002-09-20T07:08:34Z")
Yeah, I’m sure this coach looked up into the sea of faces and tried to pick a fight with these two miscreants. Yeah, I buy that. Two thugs, bound and determined to do something stupid and violent. AND get their mugs in the news. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/4 "2002-09-20T07:13:48Z")
2 nuts who wanted to go to jail… Maybe they were rejected from the Jerry Springer Show. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/5 "2002-09-20T08:13:55Z")
I was sickened by seeing this. What was more disturbing – in the footage they showed of the guys jumping on Gamboa, and then you see the Royals stampeding out to stomp them, the first base umpire and CWS’ first baseman Paul Konerko just… stood there. And watched. And took a step or two _back_ from the two hooligans that were beating the crap out of a 54-year old man. I mean, what’s gotta be going through your mind at a time like that, if you’re an umpire? _‘Gee, I’m an authority figure out here, and those miscreants are kicking that guy’s ass. Welp, better him than me!’_ Double baffled. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/6 "2002-09-20T08:29:18Z")
From [here:](http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/baseball/article/0,1426,MCA_464_1428393,00.html) > [@](#): > > He did not fault first-base umpire Matt Hollowell or White Sox second baseman Willie Harris for not immediately coming to his aid. > [@](#): > > “I would expect major league baseball to do something,” Royals outfielder Chuck Knoblauch said. “It is amazing something like that hasn’t happened before. But it is a fear of players because it seems like the fans continue to get more and more hostile.” The only [photo I saw](http://mas.scripps.com/MCA/2002/09/20/0920s20topbase_e.jpg) of it was the one in the Memphis paper. It showed the two thugs bearing down on Gamboa, and of him nothing but his pathetic hand, reaching up in a mainly symbolic gesture of self-defense. Strangely though, it also showed a fist reaching into frame from behind them; I don’t know who that might have been. Again, I haven’t seen footage of it; just this one photo. So I don’t know. Bizarre story. As for the cause, I assume it’s beer and mischief. People do very stupid and bizarre things under the influence of beer and testosterone. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/7 "2002-09-20T09:43:53Z")
> [@](#): > > _from Blunt’s link_ > A father and his juvenile son, Quite a family there. > [@](#): > > both shirtless > … > "He was yelling something, but it was incoherent,’’ I think these are givens. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/8 "2002-09-20T10:17:38Z")
[Here](http://www.espn.go.com/main.html) is one of the miscreants. I heard a comedian say once that the show ‘COPS’ taught him that you had to have your shirt off to commit a felony in this country. What kind of bonehead goes shirtless at a ballgame? I mean, without showing off some sort of team-related body paint of course. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/9 "2002-09-20T10:22:40Z")
[Here](http://www.espn.go.com/main.html) is one of the miscreants. I heard a comedian say once that the show ‘COPS’ taught him that you had to have your shirt off to commit a felony in this country. What kind of bonehead goes shirtless at a ballgame? I mean, without showing off some sort of team-related body paint of course. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/10 "2002-09-20T11:56:32Z")
When I go to games, I like getting field box seats. Some season-ticket holder couldn’t make it - so I buy his tickets - usually for not much more than face value. Soon there’ll be a moat and razor-wire fence between the stands and the field because of morons like this. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/11 "2002-09-20T12:19:04Z")
I wonder if those two were season-ticket holders. I’m not sure about Comiskey, but in most parks the seats right next to the field are for season-ticket holders. I guess we can assume these two would have their tickets revoked… ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/12 "2002-09-21T06:17:02Z")
Or maybe since it was a meaningless game late in the year, they snuck down from their cheapo nosebleeds and sat in the front row. Remember when a guy ran on the field at a Baltimore Colts game and Art Donovan laid him out? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/13 "2002-09-21T22:13:16Z")
> [@](#): > > He did not fault first-base umpire Matt Hollowell or White Sox second baseman Willie Harris for not immediately coming to his aid. In reference to this, I also saw a clip of an interview with Gamboa where he said that he didn’t blame them for being ‘confused.’ I dunno. Maybe it’s just me, but you see two hooligans jump out of the stands and bum-rush a 54 year old, this doesn’t occur to me as one of those really complex situations where it’s not clear what’s the right thing to do. The 20-some odd players coming out of the KC dugout sure didn’t seem too ‘confused.’ I know, it’s not like he’s gonna say on TV that Hollowell and Harris are a couple of punks or whatever, I just think it’s jacked that they just stood there and watched, and being ‘confused’ is no excuse. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/14 "2002-09-21T22:36:57Z")
I heard on the radio that they had shuffled all of the fans to the lower deck, as they were refurbishing the upper deck for the All Star Game, which they’ll host next season. Gamboa said the second baseman and the ump looked “stunned”, and this may be so. The team got a look at the incident from a little further off and therefore had more time to react. Doesn’t mean the two men shouldn’t have jumped in as soon as they saw the team running over. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/15 "2002-09-22T08:28:20Z")
Gamboa has been the professional/gentleman throughout this. The replay shows the 1B and ump backing off before there’s a charge from the dugouts. These father/son-guys (I thought they both looked about 14) were not imposing. There’s umpires like (ex-umpire) Eric Gregg would would flip guys like that into the outfield. And good ol’ late-Dave West who I remember body-tossed lots of players back in the arrogent 86-88 Mets days. Keith Hernandez would have joined in the kick-those-guys ass’ fray. John Olerud. Do I need to mention other NY first basemen? Gil Hodges? Lou Gehrig? Don Mattingly? I know I don’t need to say Mo Vaughn. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/16 "2002-09-22T09:50:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*I wonder if those two were season-ticket holders. I’m not sure about Comiskey, but in most parks the seats right next to the field are for season-ticket holders. I guess we can assume these two would have their tickets revoked… \*\* I know at Dodger stadium field level tickets can be bought at the ticket window. These are in the outfield corners. But you can always ‘trade up’ when you notice a bank of empty seats in the higher rent district. Nobody questions it. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/17 "2002-09-22T14:13:09Z")
That was Cowboy Joe West, **Corbomite**. One time he bodyslammed then-Phillies reliever Dennis Cook. Anyway, my point was that they backed up because they were stunned at what was happing (being so close), and reacted only when the team came rushing out. You know, someone on the radio said it was interesting how ballpark security is very tough on things like people bringing water in, their own food, and so on, and on things like moving down to the expensive seats without a ticket for that area (most places will kick you out). But a couple of tattooed, shirtless guys are able to rush the field with apparently no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/18 "2002-09-22T14:37:29Z")
_LOL_ Okay, **dantheman** - Cowboy Joe. He was an umpire who made a difference. He’d even toss Mo Vaughn. Alas, he died on like opening day during a game a few years ago. Damn. I dunno when the ‘tradition’ was born in NY - for the fans to jump onto the field and rip up the sod. Look at the 1969 World Series or the 1986 World Series. Pete Flynn filled in the field just fine. If I have to look really closely - I can still see where the Yankees celebrated their 2000 World Series win. To steer back on-topic - this kinda stuff doesn’t happen in NYC. Hempstead Turnpike was not a row of bonfires when the Islanders won four in a row. The Mets in 1969 and 1986. NYC somehow withstood the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup. The Football Giants - twice with Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler. The Yankees - more than once. What’s going on here? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/19 "2002-09-22T14:49:55Z")
Gentle readers - consider my above post a rant. I saw the Yankees celebrate a World Series win at Shea Stadium not two years ago. Go D’backs! (but leave Phoenix be). That is all. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744/20 "2002-09-22T15:37:00Z")
Are you sure Joe West died? I’m pretty sure he’s still umping. There was an ump who died during a game in Cincinnati a few years back, but I don’t think it was him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kc-royals-coach-attacked-by-2-fans-in-chicago/128744.md?page=2)