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Offerman arrested after ugly incident in Bridgeport; Everett moving towards top of league
The rivalry between the Ducks and Bluefish has always been strong, but never before had it escalated to the level seen last Tuesday night in Bridgeport during the first of a three game series. In what was probably the most shocking scene in the league's ten year history, Ducks second baseman Jose Offerman attacked Bluefish pitcher, and former-Duck, Matt Beech with a bat after being hit by a pitch in the second inning. As Offerman charged the mound with bat in hand, Bridgeport catcher John Nathans rushed out after him to help protect his pitcher. With Nathans desperately trying to hold on to his arm, Offerman managed to take a one-handed swing with the bat in the direction of Beech. Both benches emptied with players pushing and shoving to intervene on behalf of their teammates. It took close to 20 minutes before order was completely restored on the field and the end result was not pretty. Reportedly, Matt Beech suffered a broken middle finger on his right hand and Nathans suffered a concussion. Both players say their injuries came as a result of being hit by Offerman swinging the bat. Nathans claims that he got hit in the head on the backswing as he tried to prevent Offerman from hitting Beech. According to the Bluefish, Nathans collapsed in the dugout after the brawl was over and experienced severe nausea. Only three ejections were made by the umpires following the scuffle - Offerman, Beech and Bridgeport manager Tommy John. Nathans also had to leave the game as he and Beech were taken to a local hospital. After allowing Offerman to get changed back in the clubhouse, members of the Bridgeport Police Department entered the locker room, arrested the former major league allstar and escorted him from the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in handcuffs. The game itself, which the Ducks won 13- 12, took over four hours. As for Offerman, the 38-year-old infielder has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault but was released after posting a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Thursday for arraignment and if convicted, faces up to ten years in prison. In addition, Nathans hashired a lawyer and is considering whether or not to file a personal lawsuit against Offerman. In the days following the incident, Offerman publicly stated he did swing the bat at any of the Bridgeport players and that Beech intentionally threw the ball at him after he had homered off the Bridgeport pitcher in the first inning of the game. Offerman admits that he is not proud of what took place and never intended to hurt anyone. The Atlantic League acted quickly announcing that Offerman has been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal case. In all likelihood, this means that Offerman is done for the season. However, that would not be enough punishment in the eyes of Bluefish CEO Mary-Jane Foster, who has gone on record saying that she asked the league to ban Jose Offerman for life. The loss of Offerman obviously leaves a big hole at the top of the Ducks lineup, but more importantly the whole situation comes as a major embarrassment for both the team and the league. "We are very saddened by this incident and I apologize to all the Atlantic League fans for what took place," said Ducks owner and CEO Frank Boulton in a press conference held one day after the altercation. "I also think it is important to understand though that Jose Offerman's actions did not happen unprovoked," Boulton continued, "Jose has enjoyed a wonderful 15-year major league baseball career without incident and he has been nothing but a gentleman since he has worn the Ducks uniform." Major League Scouts Eye Red-Hot Everett Over the last few weeks, scouts from the Colorado Rockies have reportedly been following the play of Ducks slugger Carl Everett very closely. With the way he is hitting, who can blame them. Since the opening month of the season, which was below average by Everett's standards, the designated hitter's numbers have been nothing short of astounding. Through his first 22 games of the season, Everett had two home runs, nine RBIs and was batting under .250. Over the next 64 games, Everett has amassed 21 home runs, an amazing 76 RBIs and is currently batting over .300 for the first time this season. Everett now leads the entire Atlantic League in RBIs and has moved into second place on the league leader chart for home runs. Even these numbers cannot completely do Everett justice because his sheer power can only be fully appreciated when witnessed in person. "I really don't think he is from this planet, I think he is from somewhere else," Ducks infielder Bryant Nelson says of Everett, "But really he just has an amazing swing and his legs are really strong, so when he connects he has unbelievable power." Possibly the best example of Everett's strength came a couple of weeks ago in a game against the Newark Bears at Citibank Park. The 36-year-old, two-time big league all-star launched a line drive bomb over both fences in centerfield that still might not have landed yet. "It's just not fair a man can hit a ball that hard the way he does," says Ducks manager Dave Lapoint about Everett, "You never see a straight line drive go out to that part of the ballpark. He is on fire right now."
Knowing that a major league team is looking at Everett certainly creates a weird situation for manager Dave Lapoint. On one hand he realizes how much it would mean to Everett to get back to the majors, but is also well aware that losing his bat at such a critical time in the season would be devastating. "Obviously we would be sad to lose him but he definitely deserves it," says Lapoint, "If it happens, I really think the whole team would be very happy for him."
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