May 30, 2009

Connecticut Post

Move over Jose Offerman, you now have company in the Bridgeport Baseball Hall of Shame.

The former Long Island Duck's bat attack, which gave former Bluefish catcher John Nathan a concussion after Offerman charged the mound at Harbor Yard two years ago, marred the national pastime, at least in this city, forever.

But Anibal Perez's recent actions are even worse.

Perez took poor sportsmanship on the baseball diamond to an entirely new level last week when he started a melee at the Thorme Street field that ended with the 36-year-old Bridgeport resident being charged with third-degree assault, breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor.

According to the police report, Perez, who was coaching the Red Sox in the Bridgeport North End Little League, had a dispute with the mother of a player on the Cardinals during the game that led to opposing coach William Garay, who is a Stamford police officer, also getting involved.

Perez, according to police, assaulted Garay during the incident before both benches emptied and fans also poured out to the field to straighten things out. Bench-clearing brawls are unfortunately nothing new to this sport -- but now at a Little League game?!

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