The Real Reason Jose Offerman Charged The Mound

On the surface, it appears we know all the facts surrounding the incident that took place on Tuesday evening in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in a game between the hometown Bluefish and the Long Island Ducks: Long Island's Jose Offerman was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat and chose to deal with the situation in a manner that, in retrospect, was probably not a good idea. The picture sums it up adequately, I think:


Needless to say, Offerman is taking a lot of flak for the incident. He was arrested and charged with assault, his name and picture were all over the blogs on Wednesday, and there is a good chance he will face a lifetime ban from the Atlantic League in the not-too-distant future (and when independent leagues won't have you - well, hope you enjoyed your career, Jose). It's hard to imagine that things could have gotten worse than they already were for Jose Offerman, but they did.


The problem is, I think Offerman's intentions in this situation may have been misunderstood. Isn't it possible, if not probable, that he was merely trying to pay homage to one of the most infamous incidents in major league history: August 22, 1965, the day Juan Marichal took exception to a John Roseboro return throw to the pitcher that came a little too close and responded by playing Whack-A-Mole on Roseboro's head? Consider the evidence:

• Roseboro played for the Dodgers. Offerman's major league career began with the Dodgers.

• The incident occurred on Tuesday. Today is the five-year anniversary of Roseboro's death.

• The Revenge of Offerman took place on August 14. Roseboro v. Marichal took place on August 22. Close enough.

• The pitcher on the mound when Marichal unloaded on Roseboro? Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. The pitcher on the mound when Offerman erupted? Matt Beech. Both are left-handed.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are one of the biggest rivalries in baseball today, and even moreso in the 1960s. The Bridgeport Bluefish and Long Island Ducks are one of the biggest rivalries in the Atlantic League.

Clearly, Offerman's best defense at this point is to claim he's a history buff and was merely trying to honor Roseboro's memory.

Photo: AP Photo/Connecticut Post, Christian Abraham, WhatIfSports.com