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Big League Stew

Sat Jan 16 11:34pm EST

Video: Jose Offerman punches umpire at Dominican League game

By David Brown

The last time most baseball fans heard the name Jose Offerman, it was because he hit two other players with a bat — one in the head — during a minor league game in 2007.

Offerman, a former major league All-Star who is now manager for Licey of the Dominican Republic League, apparently can't stop swinging.

At least this time, Offerman (shown on the right as a rookie) only used his fist to hit an umpire.

Muchas gracias to @rbaly79, who runs the Dodgers blog "Vin Scully Is My Homeboy" for breaking (in English) the story about Offerman going off again. Thanks for keeping watch, Roberto.

Update: Offerman hit first-base umpire Daniel Rayburn after coming out to talk to plate ump Jason Bradley. Offerman was detained by stadium security and taken to an area police station to wait and see if Rayburn wanted to press charges.

Below is video uploaded from Saturday night's Licey Tigers/Cibao Giants game. Warning: the broadcasters speak Spanish until they start reading Offerman's lips and blurt out a really bad word in English.

Roberto is right: That's how they roll on Domincan TV.

The title of the uploaded video: "Jose Offerman — Lucha Libre" references Mexican pro wrestling. And it's funny: Offerman's punch appears to miss Rayburn's chin, but gets him on the throat, or maybe the chest, and knocks him down.

This post on El Diario Nuevo, loosely translated with Google's help, was the first to report the incident on the Internet.

Fans also might recognize the catcher for Licey: Ronny Paulino(notes) of the Marlins. He apparently was thrown out after arguing about the strike zone.

Offerman just signed a contract extension with Licey, too. If there's a clause in there about not hitting umpires, they might have cause to terminate.

Offerman played for the Dodgers, Royals, Red Sox and others, compiling a .732 OPS from 1992-2005. He amassed 1,551 career, ahem, hits.

After the minor-league incident in '07, Offerman was arrested and charged with two counts of felony assault — before a Connecticut Superior Court judge granted him "accelerated rehabilitation."

John Nathans, the player Offerman beaned, was still recovering as of May 2009.

Offerman apparently can't get over his own anger, either.

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