O's Ponson Remains in Jail in Aruba
By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 28, 2004; Page D02
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson remained in jail in Aruba last night and faces the possibility of at least several more days of detainment following a Christmas Day incident in which he allegedly assaulted a local judge at a beach.
Ponson, 28, still has not been charged and is scheduled to appear at a hearing this morning at which prosecutors can ask for up to eight more days for their investigation, during which time Ponson, by law, would remain in jail. Under Aruba's legal system, there is no bail option for defendants in this type of case.
Ponson could be sentenced to up to three months in prison if found guilty, according to Sgt. Rudie Soemers, a watch commander with the city of Oranjestad police department.
"Don't forget he fought with somebody, and that somebody was a judge," Soemers said. "So it's not going to be easy for him to get out."
Orioles officials continued to maintain silence, calling it an ongoing legal matter.
According to police, the alleged assault occurred Saturday in the beach town of Boca Catalina, on Aruba's west coast, when Ponson was confronted by several people who claimed he had harassed them by operating his personal watercraft in a reckless manner.
Ponson then struck one of the men, according to police, and fled the scene. He was detained later Saturday evening and is being held in a prison in the town of San Nicholas.
"I would not want to comment on specifics, but this unfortunate incident arose out of Sidney being challenged on the beach Saturday afternoon," said Ponson's agent, Barry Praver. "Fortunately, he was not hurt."
The alleged victim, who was later identified as a judge whose last name is Noordhuizen, was hospitalized. Although no official details have been released about the judge's condition, Soemers said yesterday he suffered a possible broken jaw.
Ponson, the most prominent of three Arubans to have played in the major leagues, is a well-known figure in his native country, having been decorated with knighthood in 2003. The story of his detainment was the third story from the top on the front page of the Diario Aruba newspaper's Web site yesterday.
"If he is released by the court [at the end of the prosecutor's investigation] it will be a big scandal here," said Vale Hart, a news reporter for Diario Aruba. "There are people in favor of him, and people against him, but in our legal system everyone is treated equally."
Ponson has spent 6 1/2 of his seven big league seasons with the Orioles, compiling a career record of 69-80 with a 4.67 ERA. He opened the 2004 season, the first year of a three-year, $22.5 million contract, as the Orioles' No. 1 starter but went 3-12 in the first half, reviving criticism both inside and outside the organization over his weight and conditioning.
He recovered to post an 8-3 mark in the second half, but the team has spent much of the winter searching for at least one more front-line starting pitcher, in order to move Ponson to the middle of the rotation.
Although Ponson is a popular clubhouse figure because of his outsized personality, he has clashed with the Orioles' coaching staff and management frequently over his off-field habits. In 2000 he and two teammates were suspended for renting a limousine to take them from New York to Baltimore in the middle of a series for a Metallica concert.
