Umpire Attacked by Fan at Chicago

Kansas City Royal coach Tom Gamboa had no qualms about coming back to the ballpark where he was pummeled last year.

“Lightning doesn’t strike twice,” he said before Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

But it did.

Umpire Laz Diaz was attacked by a fan who came out of the stands in an eerie reminder of what happened near the same spot last season at Comiskey Park.

“I’m physically OK,” Diaz said after the Royals won, 8-5. “I think you should talk to the other guy and see how he’s feeling.”

Immediately after Carlos Lee flied out to end Chicago’s eighth inning, a man ran on the field and tried to tackle Diaz, wrapping his arms around the first-base umpire’s legs.

Security and players rushed to the aid of the 30-year-old Diaz, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The fan was quickly taken away.

“When I looked over, there was one of the fans from the stands and I just got him off me,” Diaz said.

It was the first appearance by the Royals in Chicago since Gamboa was attacked by a father and son who came out of the stands last Sept. 19. Diaz was standing about 100 feet from where Gamboa was knocked down.

The 55-year-old Gamboa was injured when he was attacked last year, and still has a minor hearing loss in his right ear.

Tuesday night’s game in Chicago had been delayed three times when fans ran onto the field before being tackled by security guards. All three of those fans were charged with trespassing, the White Sox said.

“It’s sad that it happened, and happened when it did. Something has to be done to put a stop to it because it becomes somewhat unsafe,” White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel said.

Royal right fielder Brandon Berger, who had caught the ball for the final out of the inning, got to Diaz first, knelt down and appeared to punch at the fan, who was on the ground with his arms wrapped around Diaz’s ankle.

Mike Sweeney hit a two-run homer and Berger hit a two-run single in the ninth as the Royals rallied to win Tuesday and raise their record to 11-1.