WoW. What a total douchebag. I hope the catcher is okay. Someone needs to have played his last game of baseball in this life.
Jose Offerman gone wild Ducks' Offerman attacks mound wielding bat Shortstop Jose Offerman charged the mound after being hit by a pitch. The result was a broken finger on the pitcher, the catcher suffering concussion-like symptoms and Offerman's arrest. AP/Christian Abraham (Connecticut Post), August 15, 2007 Bridgeport Bluefish catcher John Nathans, right, prevents Long Island Ducks' Jose Offerman (18) from hitting Bluefish pitcher Matt Beech with a bat. From Newsday.com 12:19 AM EDT, August 15, 2007 Article Tools E-mail Print Single page view Reprints Reader feedback text size: BRIDGEPORT - Long Island Ducks shortstop Jose Offerman charged the mound wielding a bat Tuesday night after being hit by a pitch, according to the Connecticut Post. Bridgeport Bluefish starting pitcher Matt Beech hit Offerman in the second inning and a brawl ensued that resulted in Offerman's arrest. He was being held on $10,000 bond on a second-degree assault charge. Offerman hit a home run in the first inning and was hit by a 0-1 fastball in the calf. Offerman's attack left Beech with a broken middle finger on his non-throwing right hand. Also injured was catcher John Nathans, who suffered from symptoms related to a concussion. Offerman played for the Bluefish in 2003, appearing in 98 games. He also was voted an All-Star during his MLB tenure hmy:hmy:hmy:
As bad as this is, and I certainly support banning him for life, I'm not sure I see the difference between hitting somebody with a bat and hitting them with a 100 MPH fastball. If umpires determine that a pitcher threw intentionally at a batter then they too should be arrested. The only difference, obviously, would be in trying to prove it in court.
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, major league asshole and "curly headed boyfriend" per Carl Everett and Curt Schilling, once described Offerman in print as a "piece of junk." Mind you, this was based on his play, not his demeanor or actions. Possibly the worst piece of sports journalism I've ever read. Tough to see the guy might have been right.
Oh, he was right. They didn't call him Jose Awfulman for nothing. I actually had assumed he was dead.
It depends, IMO. Throwing at a guy, as you said, would be hard to prove in court to begin with. Beyond that though, there's a major difference between throwing at a guy's leg (leaving a nasty bruise,) and swinging a bat at a person anywhere on their body. One stings for a minute, the other breaks bones. Quite simply, Offerman is a douche of the highest magnitude.
