Most baseball fans enjoy watching the flight of the ball and hearing the crack of the bat. Fans in Bridgeport, Conn., witnessed a different kind of crack after a Long Island Ducks player was hit by a pitch Tuesday night.

Long Island Ducks shortstop and former Major League Baseball All-Star Jose Offerman was charged with second-degree assault following an alleged on-field attack.

Offerman charged the mound, bat in hand, after being hit by a pitch during the game against the Bridgeport Bluefish. Witnesses said Offerman hit Bluefish pitcher Matt Beech's hand with his bat before swinging, and connecting, with catcher John Nathans' head.

Beech suffered a broken finger, while Nathans was briefly hospitalized with a concussion.

After the game, police arrested Offerman and charged him with two counts of assault. He was freed on $10,000 bond and is expected back in court August 23. The Atlantic League suspended Offerman indefinitely on Wednesday, and said it would determine his fate later this week.

Long Islanders reacted strongly to the incident.

"That is totally unacceptable," said Dix Hills resident Sam Friedfeld. "You can't do that in professional sports."

Some were concerned about the example the incident sets for young people.

"We should teach our children to deal with their anger in a better way," said Lisa Rejwan, of West Hills.

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Photograph courtesy of The Connecticut Post.