Though baseball season is in hibernation in the US, it’s in full effect down in the Dominican Republic for winter leagues.  The video above shows ex-MLBer Jose Offerman, manager of the Licey Tigers, punching and dropping first base ump Daniel Rayburn because he didn’t like his call.  Except when I say “punching” I use the term very loosely.  So loosely you could wear it as a hat. That punch didn’t even come close to landing.

I only have to assume that Steven Seagal has started an acting school down in the DR, and Offerman and Rayburn are practicing their new skills on the field.  Next I’m sure we’ll see video of Offerman “stabbing” the bat boy for not clearing it out of the way fast enough, and the bat boy “dies” on the field.  Man, that theater blood sure is real-looking!

via The Dugout Sports Show

The latest news on the crazy Jose Offerman bat assault is that Offerman's lawyer is contesting that the assaulted pitcher may have broken his finger in the ensuing melee, not during the criminal assault.  Same goes for the catcher who got a concussion on one of Offerman's backswings.  I dunno, man.  I'm not a professional juror or anything, but the series of time-lapse photos above makes it look like Jose Offerman, you know, attacked people with a bat.

WARNING: Watch the video with the sound OFF.  I listened to it and went into a rage blackout.  I don't know what happened, but there's a dead hobo outside my building and a church burning down the street.

[FanHaus] 

Former Dodger and MLB All-Star Jose Offerman continued his hot hitting with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent Atlantic League last night, smashing a first-inning home run and the pitcher with his hot bat.  After getting hit by a pitch in his second at-bat, Offerman charged the mound with bat in hand.

"He hit him with a cut fastball in the left calf," Bluefish manager Tommy John said. "And the next thing you know, Offerman's going to the mound with his bat over his head taking swings at [pitcher Matt] Beech. He took at least two, maybe even three [swings]."

Beech left the game with a broken finger.  Catcher John Nathans, who tried to restrain Offerman, suffered concussion-like symptoms.  And Offerman has a court date on August 23rd.  Something about $10,000 bail and second-degree assault charges.

In other news, the Bluefish are managed by Tommy John?  Weird.  I wonder if he knows that there's a surgical procedure with the same name?

[Pop Jocks]