Jose Offerman AKA Clubber Lang

[Critter Truckin]

OK. So Offerman used to be a fairly decent Major League ballplayer. After a few years of wear, he--like many other players--finds himself in the minors. So last night, he managed to get himself hit by a pitch. Instead of either A)taking his base, B)having it out with the pitcher, or C)going down in a heap... Offerman decides to pull a D)and go all Marty McSorley on the cathcer AND the pitcher, going upside both players with his BAT!!!

He was arrested straight away and is being charged with 2nd Degree Assault. A felony is the state where it happened.

Brings me to two questions.
1) Since when did sport become a place to take your frustrations out on the nearest player with a weapon?
2) Are the authorities right for charging him, and should it happen more often?

 

[RichM]

I think he should be charged but look at what some of these hockey players do to each other and get away with it.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

No excuse for that. It's a felony in my book too. Any action that is malicious and intended to cripple a player should be treated as a criminal act.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[Critter Truckin]

>I think he should be charged but look at what some of these
>hockey players do to each other and get away with it.

Yeah, that's why I put the Marty McSorley reference in there. But when you look at hockey, it's much more intense. More physical than any other sport. Football has it's definite physical attributes, but they get time off during the game after every play. In hockey, they have to go, and go, and go. Changes on the fly and all that. So if a player manages to mess with one, he gets the whole team on his backside.

However, baseball is one of those sports where retribution has been a part of the game since it started. However, I can't recall anyone going 9-iron against another player. Felony yes... but let the hockey players fight!