In yet another example of an athlete being an idiot, Jose Offerman has effectively ended his baseball career. While he’s been out of Major League Baseball since 2005, the former All-Star was arrested on two counts of second-degree assault after charging the mound with his bat, and using it to hit both the opposing pitcher and catcher, in an independent Atlantic League game on Tuesday.

Here’s the situation: Offerman, playing for the Long Island Ducks, goes yard in the first inning. Offerman gets plugged his next time up by Bridgeport Bluefish starting pitcher Matt Beech. Offerman charges the mound, bat in hand, and proceeds to strike the offending pitcher and catcher.

The pitcher, Beech, was left with a broken middle finger on his right hand, while the catcher, John Nathans, suffered a concussion. Nathans attempted to keep playing, but came out of the game after suffering from nausea and collapsing in the dugout.

Bluefish pitcher Mike Porzio: “Luckily for Matt Beech, he was agile enough to dodge a bat, but it may have only been John Nathans taking one on the backswing in the head to have saved Matt Beech from really taking one in the face.”

Beech and Offerman were both ejected, along with Bridgeport manager Tommy John. Yes, that Tommy John.

If there is anything you don’t do on a baseball field, it’s use a baseball bat as a weapon. Unless of course, you’re Juan Marichal or Roger Clemens. Even then, it’s frowned upon. You want to charge the mound? Fine. That’s always been part of the game. But you don’t bring the bat.

Offerman was a two-time All-Star in the bigs, with a career average of .273. And if you care, Long Island won the game, 13-12.

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