By Ronnie Polidoro
Rock Center

Nearly nine months after being viciously beaten while leaving a Los Angeles Dodger home opener, San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow has only recovered enough to barely speak and he is still unable to walk.

NBC News Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman visited Stow at a rehabilitation center in San Jose, Calif. The 42-year-old paramedic and father of two is relearning basic things like walking, brushing his teeth, swallowing, and even how to speak.  His recovery has been a slow process but he was able to greet Snyderman as part of an exclusive look at his life since the attack.

Two of the men who attended the fateful baseball game in Los Angeles with Stow, Corey Maciel and Jeff Bradford also spoke to Rock Center in an exclusive interview discussing one of the worst episodes of fan violence in American sports history.

It was opening day in March at Dodger Stadium.  The Dodgers were playing the defending World Series champion team, the San Francisco Giants.  San Francisco fans Maciel, Bradford, and Stow, along with their friend Matt Lee, had taken a road trip to Los Angeles to root for their team.

Proudly wearing their orange and black uniforms, they stuck out in the blue sea of Dodger fans, and soon the heckling began.  

“Nobody’s off limits for heckling at a game, especially when it’s friendly banter,” Maciel told Dr. Nancy Snyderman. 

---

But the friendly banter soon escalated into name-calling, threats and cursing.

“At no point did we think about leaving, because as uncomfortable as we might have been at times, we had paid our money.  We’re here to see a baseball game,” Maciel said.

The game ended with the Dodgers winning 2-1.

As fans filtered out of the stadium, the four visitors stayed by their seats to avoid the massive crowds. When they finally left, the taunting continued into the parking lot. 

“It turned from uncomfortable in the stadium to almost a hostile feeling in the parking lot,” Maciel said. 

The group was staying at a nearby hotel and trying to beat the taxi stand line.  Bradford says they went the long way through a dimly lit parking lot to look for a cab farther from the stadium. 

 

“Bryan and I were side by side and talking amongst ourselves,” Maciel said. “We’re walking past this car.  And I noticed there’s a group of people.  And, next thing, one of them comes from behind the car yelling, and pushes Bryan into me.”

Maciel says his friends dismissed the trouble and kept walking, picking up the pace.  The parking lot exit came into focus. Then he says he heard footsteps coming from behind them and then a loud scream. 

“I turned around, and at that point, I see Jeff get punched in the face and get knocked to his back.  And I just remember feeling stunned, completely stunned, almost paralyzed with the feeling of what is going on right now,” he said.

Trying to assess the situation, Maciel says he looked for his other friends. 

“I looked over to see where Matt and Bryan were.  And I didn’t see Matt, but I saw Bryan.  And somebody had his attention.  And he was looking away from me.”

That’s when Maciel says Bryan was punched from behind and knocked to the ground allegedly by the same man who punched Jeff.  His attacker was kicking him in the side of the head, over and over. 

Maciel and Bradford say they sprinted to Stow and jumped on him to cover and protect him, begging the attacker to stop.

“Right after we had covered Bryan up, somebody from the crowd grabbed him and said, ‘That’s enough.  Get out of here.’  And the next thing I know, I look up and I see him running away,” Maciel said.

Maciel says he called out Stow’s name repeatedly, but his badly beaten friend gave no response.  “I felt so helpless,” he said.

Stow laid there with severe injuries to his skull and brain, struggling to hold on. 

In July, two suspects were arrested, Louie Alex Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Eugene Norwood, 30. Sanchez and Norwood both pled not guilty to charges of felony assault, battery, and mayhem in August.  Their preliminary hearing has been set for January 17.

After seven months in the intensive care unit, much of what he spent in a medically induced coma, Stow was transferred from San Francisco General Hospital to the rehabilitation center in San Jose, Calif.  Doctors say Bryan will be permanently “disabled” and expect that he will never be a paramedic again.

Despite the severity of the attack Bradford says he’s hopeful baseball’s reputation is not damaged irreparably.

“It’s supposed to be a team sport.  You know?  Good rivalry.  This is one bad instance among millions and millions of sports fans that go every year and have the time of their lives.”

Editor’s Note: Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s full report on Bryan Stow and his recovery airs tonight, Dec.19 at 10p/9c on NBC’s Rock Center.

 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — San Francisco Giants third base coach Tim Flannery put on a benefit concert for Bryan Stow Wednesday night at Yoshi’s Jazz Club.Aside from coaching, Flannery is also a member of the bluegrass band Lunatic Fringe. Last night, the band released its tenth album. All the money raised from CD sales will go towards Stow’s medical expenses. A variety of sports memorobilia were also up for silent auction.While the Stow family said in an email that they will be unable to attend, Flannery believes Wednesday’s sold-out show also will allow others to heal from Stow’s ordeal.Home run king Barry Bonds has contributed to a college fund for Stow’s children, who were regulars along with other family members at AT&T Park this season.In April, Giants ace Tim Lincecum gave $25,000 to the Bryan Stow Fund to help with medical bills and other expenses.The Giants also raised approximately $70,000 for the Stow fund, partnering with his employer, American Medical Response, to gather donations at AT&T Park before the start of a series with the rival Dodgers in April. The total included a $10,000 donation from the team.Stow, a 42 year old paramedic and father of two sustained serious brain injuries after he was brutally beaten in a parking lot at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium back in March. He was recently moved from San Francisco General Hospital to a rehabilitation center. Just last week his family website reported that he wrote his name for the first time since the attack.The Stow family is suing the Dodgers and blaming the organization for a lack of security outside of the stadium.

Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being brutally beaten outside of Dodger Stadium in March, is making slow progress at a rehabilitation center, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

According to the Chronicle, Stow’s family said the 42-year-old paramedic from Santa Cruz still shows signs of confusion.

“While Bryan knows the answers to some questions he is asked, he also has moments of confusion and he answers personal questions incorrectly,” the family said, according to the report.

On their Website, Stow’s family thanked San Francisco General Hospital doctors and staff “for taking the best care of Bryan and for taking care of (the family) well.”

The family said Stow “got right to work” upon his arrival at the undisclosed rehabilitation center, the Chronicle reports.

“This is a big move for Bryan, a step forward in terms of progress,” the family said. “With all his progress, Bryan still has a lot of work to do, and he has a long way to go. As always, the outcome is unknown and that is very difficult. But we are very determined and excited to start this next chapter and to help Bryan in any possible way we can.”

Stow was beaten after the Dodgers’ and Giants’ Opening Day game March 31 and suffered severe contusions to both frontal lobes of his brain after a blow caused him to slam his head on concrete, according to the Chronicle.

The Chronicle reports that two San Bernardino County men have pleaded not guilty to charges of mayhem, assault and battery in the beating of Stow, who is still unable to walk.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Family members of a San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten outside Dodger Stadium said he is speaking and more responsive than ever since his attack nearly six months ago.

The family of Bryan Stow posted the update Wednesday on its website, saying his latest improvements came a week after he received a shunt to relieve pressure on his brain.

During a speech therapy session, Stow was able to say his full name and the names of his daughter and son.

“We are blown away with all of this,” the family said. “Literally one day we got some facial responses and the next, he’s talking. His voice is gravelly and you have to be close to hear him, but he is talking. Right now, Bryan is more awake and more responsive then (sic) ever.”

Stow, 42, a paramedic from Santa Cruz, suffered severe brain injury when he was attacked in Los Angeles after the Dodgers’ home opener against the Giants on March 31. He remains in serious condition at San Francisco General Hospital.

Two men, Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have both pleaded not guilty to mayhem, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury.

Earlier this month, Stow and his children filed a lawsuit against the Dodgers alleging a lack of security, lighting and other problems at the ballpark. Stow’s lawyers say his medical care is expected to cost more than $50 million.

An attorney for the Dodgers has said the team would fight the lawsuit.

During speech therapy, Stow was able to say his birth date and tell his sister he loved her. He was also shown pictures of his children, Tabitha and Tyler. and said, “I would like to see them,” according to his family.

Dr. Geoff Manley, San Francisco General’s chief of neurosurgery, said Thursday doctors were encouraged by Stow’s neurological improvement but it remains unclear how long his recovery will take.

“He remains seriously injured and has several ongoing medical issues that we are currently managing,” Manley said. “It is premature to predict where his long journey will end, and he is not out of the woods yet.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco Giants fan severely beaten outside Dodger Stadium has made “significant improvement” despite a series of ups and downs since his near-fatal attack more than four months ago, his doctor said Monday.

Bryan Stow is awake, breathing on his own, can move slightly and has been able to interact with his family, said Dr. Geoff Manley, the chief of neurosurgery at San Francisco General Hospital. However, Manley said it’s still unclear how far Stow’s recovery will take him.

“His ability to follow commands has greatly increased,” Manley said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs and we still don’t know where he’s going to plateau in terms of his recovery.”

The paramedic from Santa Cruz remains in serious condition after suffering a traumatic brain injury when he was attacked on March 31 following the Dodgers’ home opener against the Giants in Los Angeles. He underwent a life-saving procedure in Los Angeles and was put in a coma for several weeks.

He was transported to San Francisco to be closer to his family in May.

Last week, Stow’s family said on their website that he is responding to some directions. Stow lifted his left leg when asked and raised his left arm when asked if someone could hold his hand, relatives said.

The family also said that when Stow’s sister, Bonnie, asked if she could give him a kiss, he puckered his lips each time.

Last month, doctors performed emergency surgery on the father of two to remove fluid buildup in his head that caused a seizure. But Stow has responded well following surgery last week to replace a missing skull fragment with a prosthetic bone flap, Manley said.

Doctors will determine in the next week or so whether Stow will require a shunt to permanently divert the fluid, Manley added.

The goal, Manley said, is to place Stow in a long-term rehab center. The doctor said Stow has come far in terms of nearly being beaten to death; being placed in a coma, opening his eyes and now following some basic commands.

“In the spectrum of things, he’s not running down the hall and doing multi-step commands, but given where he was when he first came here, he’s significantly improved,” Manley said. “He still has a long way to go.”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco Giants fan severely beaten outside Dodger Stadium has made “significant improvement” despite a series of ups and downs since his near-fatal attack more than four months ago, his doctor said Monday.

Bryan Stow is awake, breathing on his own, can move slightly and has been able to interact with his family, said Dr. Geoff Manley, the chief of neurosurgery at San Francisco General Hospital. However, Manley said it’s still unclear how far Stow’s recovery will take him.

“His ability to follow commands has greatly increased,” Manley said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs and we still don’t know where he’s going to plateau in terms of his recovery.”

The paramedic from Santa Cruz remains in serious condition after suffering a traumatic brain injury when he was attacked on March 31 following the Dodgers’ home opener against the Giants in Los Angeles. He underwent a life-saving procedure in Los Angeles and was put in a coma for several weeks.

He was transported to San Francisco to be closer to his family in May.

Last week, Stow’s family said on their website that he is responding to some directions. Stow lifted his left leg when asked and raised his left arm when asked if someone could hold his hand, relatives said.

The family also said that when Stow’s sister, Bonnie, asked if she could give him a kiss, he puckered his lips each time.

Last month, doctors performed emergency surgery on the father of two to remove fluid buildup in his head that caused a seizure. But Stow has responded well following surgery last week to replace a missing skull fragment with a prosthetic bone flap, Manley said.

Doctors will determine in the next week or so whether Stow will require a shunt to permanently divert the fluid, Manley added.

The goal, Manley said, is to place Stow in a long-term rehab center. The doctor said Stow has come far in terms of nearly being beaten to death; being placed in a coma, opening his eyes and now following some basic commands.

“In the spectrum of things, he’s not running down the hall and doing multi-step commands, but given where he was when he first came here, he’s significantly improved,” Manley said. “He still has a long way to go.”

(05-25) 09:56 PDT LOS ANGELES, (AP) –

The hits keep coming for Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and they aren’t the kind that is helping the organization.

The latest off-the-field distraction came when the family of a San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day sued the team and McCourt on Tuesday, claiming security cutbacks were partially to blame for the attack.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Bryan Stow contends the Dodgers were negligent by not providing more security and not having adequate lighting in the parking lot where the incident occurred.

Combined, both elements “provided a perfect opportunity to commit a variety of crimes,” the lawsuits states. “Unfortunately, for Bryan Stow, this is exactly what happened.”

Stow, 42, remains in critical but stable condition under heavy sedation to prevent seizures caused by the traumatic brain injury he suffered in the March 31 attack.

Police arrested Giovanni Ramirez, 31, over the weekend but charges have not yet been filed against him. They have not identified a second attacker and a woman suspected of driving the pair from the scene.

Ramirez was being detained on a parole hold, and detectives still had not presented their case to the district attorney’s office. Detective Pjai Morris said additional investigative work was being carried out, but he was confident the case would go forward.

Authorities on Wednesday plan to have a lineup to find out whether witnesses to the attack can identify Ramirez. A parole photograph obtained by The Associated Press, which bears some similarity to a composite sketch released by police, was not published because authorities said it could jeopardize the lineup.

Chip Matthews, who is representing members of Ramirez’s family, said Ramirez never went to the game that day.

Matthews told AP that Ramirez is willing to take a polygraph test to show he was not at the stadium and had spent the day at his aunt’s house with several family members.

In recent weeks McCourt has seen Major League Baseball appoint a monitor to oversee the Dodgers and his ex-wife ask a judge presiding over their divorce trial to order the sale of the team. Baseball officials also have said they don’t believe McCourt has enough money to make payroll at the end of this month.

Attorneys for Stow believe McCourt has mismanaged one of baseball’s most storied franchises by spending lavishly since buying the team in 2004 and reducing security during games. Court documents filed in the divorce trial indicate the McCourts took out more than $100 million in loans from Dodger-related entities.

Jerome M. Jackson, an attorney for the Dodgers, said in a statement that the organization had been unwavering in its support for the Stow family and for police investigators.

“But, to be clear, Mr. McCourt and the Dodgers will defend themselves against the allegations,” the statement said.

The lawsuit also noted that Dodgers staff was slow to respond to Stow, taking between 10 and 15 minutes before they arrived to the scene. His attorneys also claim Dodger Stadium has more crime than any other MLB venue and the defendants knew the area was unsafe and a haven for known gang members to “meet, plan and carry out criminal activity.”

The Dodgers “knew that the decrease in security forces at Dodger Stadium, coupled with the decrease of uniformed officers patrolling the stadium, would lead to increased attacks and criminal activity on their property,” the lawsuit said.

Stow, who wore Giants gear to the game, was taunted repeatedly and some Dodger fans threw peanuts, hot dogs and wrappers at him and his friends, according to the lawsuit.

Stow also sent a text message to a family member during the game about the intimidating scene.

Besides beefing up security and improving the parking lot lights, Stow’s attorneys said several other measures could have been taken to prevent the attack, including ejection of disorderly fans, refusal to have known criminals or gang members attend games and the promotion of responsible consumption of alcohol.

Attorney Thomas Girardi, who represents the Stow family in the lawsuit, told KNTV that Barry Bonds had donated money for a college fund for Stow’s two young children.

___

Associated Press writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this report.