BALTIMORE -- Former Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson was
sentenced to five days in jail Monday after being convicted of
driving while impaired.
District Judge James Mann ordered Ponson to report Tuesday
afternoon to the Central Booking and Intake Center in Baltimore,
where he is expected to serve his sentence. Once the sentence is
complete, he will not serve any time on probation.
The judge also fined Ponson $500, plus court costs and fees
totaling less than $60.
Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested Ponson on Aug.
25 on Interstate 95 in Baltimore. Authorities said Ponson was
stopped for tailgating. He was charged with driving under the
influence and driving while impaired.
One week later, the Orioles terminated Ponson's contract.
The union has filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf, contending
that the team's action "constitutes discipline without just
cause." A decision on the case is not expected before March.
Ponson's most pressing concern, however, is his expanding
criminal record.
In November, he pleaded no contest to driving under the
influence in Florida on Jan. 21. As part of his sentence, he had
his driver's license suspended for six months, was required to
serve 50 hours of community service and was placed on nine months
probation.
It is unlikely that either conviction will cost Ponson an
opportunity to obtain a work visa from his native country of Aruba.
But he will have to explain himself to a division of the U.S. State
Department when he gets ready to head north for spring training in
February.
Ponson will be asked questions to determine if he is safe to
enter the country, and if he can prove ties to Arbua (family, bank
account, house, etc.) that will convince officials he will return
home after the season. He also will be asked if he has a criminal
record or had any problems while previously in the United States.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service should have record
of his convictions. If USCIS believes Ponson is a risk, they can
deny his visa or ask him to apply again later.
There is no record of a major leaguer missing a season because
his work visa was revoked.
Work visas to play in the major leagues are issued by the U.S.
government once a player has obtained a passport from his home
country.
The visa usually is good for the length of the contract. One
exception is Mexico.
"It's only for six months," said Mexican-born Orioles pitcher
Rodrigo Lopez, who lives in Mexico City during the offseason. "We
have to renew it in during the season."
Major leaguers are grouped in a class with entertainers and
scientists "at the highest level of their profession," a major
league official said. Minor leaguers, he said, are considered to be
"seasonal workers."
Because the United States allows 66,000 seasonal workers to
enter each year, there is a cap on work visas for minor leaguers.
"The key is having that major league contract," a baseball
official said.
Even that is no guarantee. A few years ago, a player faced the
possibility of having his work visa denied because of charges of
spousal abuse. But the charges were dropped, clearing the way for
his entry.
If a player does have his work visa revoked, he can still apply
for a waiver on an annual basis.
And Ponson?
"It's determined on a case-by-case basis," an information
officer with the USCIS said. "It will be determined when he
reapplies. He will have to pass adjudication. Certainly, the case
can be denied."