Japan home run leader Balentien arrested in U.S. on domestic violence charges

World's greatest batter up on battery charges.

Just when the player is playing he is getting played there is two sides to this story!!

Oh that's embarrassing. I guess they'll be pulling that beer add he was in.

I guess this means he won`t be playing in Japan again - if he is convicted that will deep 6 his visa eligibility.

Sad and horrible if true. Domestic violence is a plague on society, and they ought to throw the book at anyone guilty of it. However, I'm going to be careful before I convict him. This story is only from one side, and nastier lies have been told in the middle of sensitive and emotional divorce processes. I'm bracing for the worst, but hoping for the best.

Sterioids

In America, assault is legally defined as "...the act of creating apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive contact with a person."

You you don't actually have to assault someone to assault them. Brilliant country, absolutely brilliant.

Doesn't seem so serious. He removed a window from his own house, which was locked, then grabbed his wife's arm and then locked her in her own bedroom, according to the story.

I don't defend DV, but this doesn't seem like such a big deal.

A sayonara home run.....he won't be playing in Japan after this.

I guess this means he won`t be playing in Japan again

Andruw Jones got arrested for something similar right before his move to Japan, actually.

Seems like less than half the story. Her attorney says they're going through divorce. How recently did she file and was he just informed, or have they been separated for some time?

Did he just find himself locked out suddenly? Too little info here.

You you don't actually have to assault someone to assault them.

You are thinking of "battery" - that is the act of physical violence.

And yes, you can assault someone without touching them. The legal definition of assault does not require physical violence, just the threat of violence. Same anywhere.

Well, it says it was his wife's house, not his. I will assume that is accurate. It sure would explain why he apparently had no keys. Or did she dead bolt the door?

But its still a bit of a puzzler. Man and wife are supposed to be a unit. But what sort of unit is it if each has their own house? What sort of unit is it if a man can not break into a house where his wife as locked herself inside?

Okay, they are going through a divorce..but its not official yet. He did not slug her, he grabbed her arm. He locker her in a bedroom, presumably with himself inside, presumably to talk. Why won't she talk?

I am going to have reserve judgment until a lot more details come to light. But just glancing at this and asking questions like: What if they were not going through a divorce? What if it was their house together? What if his stuff was inside? Then it starts to look like a pretty typical spat.

It would all be different if he slugged her though.

I saw this on the news and the lady came out of her house and talked casually to the press. It is being blown way out of proportion it sounds like because he is famous in Japan. In the U.S., he is a washed-up journeyman player whose news probably won't make the newspaper.

In the U.S., he is a washed-up journeyman player whose news probably won't make the newspaper

He had 500 MLB ABs before he turned 25 when he was released so he could sign a contract in Japan. Hardly washed up.

His numbers with Yakult were not great his first two years, last year he figured out how to hit. MLB teams were looking to sign him but he is under contract with Yakult for 3 more years.

And as far as "not making the paper"? All the original sources for this incident are American news sources. I won't say it was big news - domestic violence rarely is, unfortunately - but it certainly was news.

Pandabelle: He had 500 MLB ABs before he turned 25 when he was released so he could sign a contract in Japan. Hardly washed up.

Well sure - not-great teams tend to give young players with talent plenty of ABs to see what they've got. That doesn't mean they the player did anything with them. Both his MLB teams sent him down to the minors. Seattle basically traded him away for a bag of towels - and then threw out the towels. (Towels being Robert Manuel in this case) Cinci had no interest in trying to keep him around.

Well sure - not-great teams tend to give young players with talent plenty of ABs to see what they've got.

The point is he didn't get plenty of ABs, he got less than a full season's worth. And in one of those he hit the longest bomb ever hit in the new stadium in Cincy.

I'll never understand why MLB teams don't give their top prospects more of a chance. They fail for less than a season then are labeled as failures and buried or released. That's the case with Balentien.

It was the case with Cecil Fielder, too, I might add. Much like Balentien he was considered washed up at 24, went to Japan, played well, came back and tore up the league for a few years.

500 ABs is nothing.

It is being blown way out of proportion it sounds like because he is famous in Japan.

I don't agree. He's the home run record leader and it was somewhat shocking to see him in prison clothes, justified or not.

*record holder

There are various reasons why even a married couple might have seperate residences and it is nobody else's business.

I don't have a problem with that per se. Just saying, so many things people do these days seem to run counter to the idea of marriage. Makes me wonder why they got married in the first place. By each having their own house, it almost seems like they were preparing for divorce, even at the time they were supposedly happily married.

Really very simple. Never raise your hand to a woman or child.

Really very simple. Never raise your hand to a woman or child.

And a woman should never raise her hand to a man or a child.

There seems to be a lot of posted, male I am going to assume, who are defending this guy. You don't break into a house and grab anyone by the arm - more so in front of a child.

As for why they aren't living together and how it is not normal. This is Japan. Tanshinfunin is VERY popular here.

"This is Japan. Tanshinfunin is VERY popular here."

Yes, grantedly true enough; BUT Balentien does not live in Japan -- he is currently in Miami. Regarding 'tanshinfunin,' many Japanese husbands living apart from their wives do not mind, and might even possibly enjoy the separation...

During the season he does live in Japan. I don't see why people are questioning why his wife is not with him. Perhaps she has a life and a job of her own? More important when one is going through a divorce and has a kid to support, no?

jeff lee- and others saying no big deal

Doesn't seem so serious. He removed a window from his own house, which was locked, then grabbed his wife's arm and then locked her in her own bedroom, according to the story. I don't defend DV, but this doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Well, what do we know from these facts? He FORCED his way into a building NOT his own ("wife’s Miami-area house."). He grabbed a woman, FORCING her into a room alone with him. Then he locked the door, preventing any escape- another use of FORCE.

So this guy wants to impose his will on the situation, and further has someone cornered and alone with him. This is one of the worst situations you can be in. There is nothing you can do to help yourself, especially if you are a woman likely half the weight of this professional athlete. I would not want to be in this situation. I would not want my daughter or anyone else to be in this situation.

Ya, maybe he just wants to talk. But if it were me, I would not want to talk to him. What is left to talk or negotiate about with someone who is going to use force to get their way no matter what? Do not fool yourself that because they are acquainted, that that means it is a safe situation. It is not. This is someone to stay away from.

You you don't actually have to assault someone to assault them. Brilliant country, absolutely brilliant.

Sounds to me like you're confusing "battery" with "assault".

In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful, offensive or sexual contact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_%28crime%29

The country is fine. Commentators without a clue, however... "absolutely brilliant".