He swings a pretty good bat too

From AP-

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa teenager drafted by the Atlanta Braves has been charged with using a baseball bat to damage a vehicle, police said.

Steven Michael Evarts, 19, a standout pitcher for Robinson High School, was arrested Monday on charges of criminal mischief causing $1,000 or more in damage. Evarts was released on a $2,000 bond.

Evarts and two other men were seen damaging Barbara Montague's Chevrolet Blazer on Dec. 9, said Laura McElory, a spokeswoman for the Tampa Police Department. It's believed Evarts and Montague's son were in a dispute regarding their friends competing for the same spot on another high school baseball team, McElory said.

Damage to the vehicle, estimated at more than $3,700, included smashed windows and dents to the vehicle's body, police reports said. The other two suspects have not been arrested.

A judge Monday issued a permanent injunction against Evarts preventing him from making any contact with the Montague family, said Todd Seiden, an attorney representing the Montagues.

"We are not looking to take his entire money, we are just looking for this kid to leave the family alone and compensate them for the damages that he has done already," Seiden said.

The Braves signed Evarts in June as a supplemental first-round pick. He signed a contract and got an $800,000 signing bonus. The left-handed pitcher was designated to play for the Gulf Coast League Braves. Last season, he went 2-2 with a 2.93 earned run average.

Maybe Mr. Evarts wanted to disprove the baseball stereotype- Pitchers can't hit. On the other hand, how hard is it to hit a car with a baseball bat?

Linked to- Pirate's Cove, Bright & Early,