TORONTO -- Baltimore Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson was
granted a special permit to enter Canada on Friday for a three-game
series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ponson had trouble obtaining a work visa because of his
involvement in two court cases. He spent 11 days in an Aruban jail
after he punched a judge in a Christmas Day brawl, and was arrested
in Florida less than a month later for driving under the influence
of alcohol.
"It's a temporary, three-day permit until the official decision
on the case in Aruba has come down," Orioles vice president Mike
Flanagan said. "They wanted to know about the Aruba situation.
They wanted information on both cases."
Ponson didn't travel with the Orioles to Toronto on Thursday
night. A team employee flew to Buffalo Friday morning and then flew
back to Baltimore to get Ponson the necessary paperwork.
Ponson was scheduled to arrive in Toronto on Friday night, and
is expected to make his scheduled start on Sunday.
Another Orioles pitcher, Eric DuBose, was arrested in March and
charged with drunken driving after sheriff's deputies in Sarasota
County, Florida, saw him swerving and nearly hitting a car.
DuBose was assigned to Triple-A Ottawa, but hasn't been unable
to pitch there because of the DUI charges. He was reassigned to
Double-A Bowie.
"We'd like to rectify that situation. We tried to do both at
the same time but Sidney's situation was more pressing because of
the schedule," Flanagan said.