James Wallace, <a href=www.stcatharinesstandard.ca>The standard-Osprey News Network Saturday, April 26, 2003 - 02:00

National news - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kelvim Escobar was named Friday in graphic court documents that allege he drugged, sexually assaulted and videotaped a woman in her mid-20s.

A statement of claim filed with Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleges Escobar took the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, to a Yorkville dance club in April 2001 where he spiked her champagne with a "noxious substance."

He then took her back to his condominium and videotaped himself sexually assaulting her, the documents allege. According to the documents, when the woman woke, she became suspicious, discovered the video equipment, took the tape and left Escobar's apartment.

"He used Jane as a sexual object and exploited her sexually when she was vulnerable and when he owed her a duty to protect her," the documents state. She is seeking $8 million in damages plus costs.

The statement of claim contains allegations only which have not been proven in court.

Paul Godfrey, Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO, was unaware of the allegations.

"You're going to have to approach Mr. Escobar," he said. "I have no comment on that at all."

Escobar could not be reached for comment.

Osprey News contacted the office of Escobar's lawyer, William Burden, by telephone and fax for comment, but he did not return calls.

Eddie Greenspan, Jane Doe's lawyer, also declined comment on the allegations.

"The allegations by my client are set out in the statement of claim and the court will ultimately determine the case," Greenspan said. Escobar, 27, is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. The documents filed in court Friday state that Escobar and Jane Doe met in 2000 and that the pair met from time to time with friends at various dance clubs in Toronto.

One evening in April 2001, Escobar met Jane Doe outside his condominium at 11 p.m. and drove her in his car to a club onYorkville Avenue, the court papers allege.

Escobar bought a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for Jane Doe and she drank it, according to the documents.

"Unknown to Jane, Escobar laced the champagne with a noxious substance," the documents claim.

The pair danced and while dancing, "Jane began to perspire profusely, became dizzy and light-headed."

Escobar escorted her to his car in front of the club and she lost consciousness, the documents state. The court papers further allege that Jane Doe woke "naked and disoriented" in Escobar's condominium bedroom the next morning and he told her she had "passed out, vomited over her clothes and thus it was necessary for him to undress her."

Jane Doe allegedly found signs she had been sexually assaulted and found a video camera in the bedroom. When Escobar was out of the room, the documents allege, Jane Doe took the cassette from the camera and hid it in her purse.

The documents allege when Jane Doe saw the videotape, it showed Escobar videotaping her while she was unconscious, undressing her and performing several sexual acts upon her, including intercourse.

sbsun.com By MICHELLE GARDNER, Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Steve Roadcap knows what he wants out of a catcher.

The manager of the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino was a catcher in his playing days and he served as the Seattle Mariners roving catching instructor before being named the skipper.

Luis Oliveros has more than fit the bill. Not only has he played well defensively and called a good game behind the plate, he has established himself as one of the California League's top hitters.

Oliveros went 2-for-3 on Friday in helping the Sixers (10-10) to a 3-1 victory over the visiting San Jose Giants in front of a crowd of 3,425 at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

"I told the catchers before the season started I didn't want them to worry about offense because the hitting would come,' Roadcap said. "I wanted their primary focus on defense and calling the game for the pitcher. It is early, but he has certainly surpassed our expectations. His hitting has been a bonus.'

Oliveros, 19, did not even begin the season as the club's starting catcher. He opened the 2003 campaign as the backup to Chris Collins but has been the workhorse since Collins sustained a shoulder injury in an April 13 collision at home plate. Oliveros has started 10-of-11 games since then and is batting .432 in that stretch.

The native of Guatire, Venezuela, leads the Sixers with eight multiple-hit games and is batting .386, seventh-best in the league.

Oliveros has struck out only four times in 57 at-bats and has hit safely in 13 of his 15 games.

"Before the season, I liked to think I had a No. 1 catcher and a 1-A,' Roadcap said. "The opportunity has presented itself for (Oliveros) to get the playing time and he has taken advantage of it. At this point he deserves to be the guy.'

Oliveros chalks up much of his success early to the work he put in during the offseason. He competed with major-leaguers in the Venezuelan League, playing on a team that featured the likes of Bobby Abreau (Phillies), Alex Gonzalez (Marlins), Ugeth Urbina (Rangers) and Henry Blanco (Braves).

Blanco, Atlanta's backup catcher, became Oliveros' mentor. They talk almost every day, with Oliveros sometimes calling Blanco as early as 4 a.m. EDT.

"Playing in Venezuela really helped my confidence,' Oliveros said. "I was playing with major-league players who are where I want to be some day. It has helped my concentration now.'

Although Oliveros has had the opportunity to rub elbows with major-leaguers, his real role model is his older brother Harry Guanchez, who climbed as high as Double-A in the Kansas City Royals organization. Oliveros has three other brothers who also played.

"He always worked hard,' said Oliveros of Guanchez. "That's why I look up to him.'

Oliveros' strong start is following last season, which did not go as well.

After hitting over .300 his first two years in professional ball, Oliveros hit just .229 last year at Low-A Wisconsin.

His hitting coach suggested a change in his approach but Oliveros never was comfortable. This year, he went back to what worked previously.

"I tried it, and it just didn't work for me,' he said.

The catcher shares an apartment with pitcher Emiliano Fruto and infielders Eddie Menchaca and Ismael Castro. The players enjoy cooking, something not typical of minor-league players.

"He doesn't worry as much about hitting as he does defense,' Menchaca said. "The most satisfying thing for him is for the pitcher to get the win. He is a great guy to be around.'

66ers notes

Sixers manager Steve Roadcap juggled his starting rotation as Ryan Ketchner has replaced Emiliano Fruto, although Fruto might pitch Sunday because scheduled starter bf>Juan Done has been sore since his outing Tuesday at High Desert.

Ketchner (3-0) responded well in his first start, allowing one run in five innings with seven strikeouts. He gave up five hits and did not walk a batter.

Greg Jacobs stroked a two-out two-run triple in the third that gave the Sixers a 2-1 lead. John Williamson added a run-scoring single in the fourth and had the defensive play of the game, making a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Angel Chavez in the fourth.

Troy Cate (0-2, 4.80) will start at 6:05

tonight against the Giants (7-13) who will counter with Ryan Hannaman (2-0, 3.18), the organization's No. 8 prospect. Tonight's game will feature appearances by the Lakers girls and the Sixers dance team and post-game fireworks. Eight used cars will also be given away between innings.

<a href=www.thestar.com>Toronto Star - Apr. 26, 2003. 01:41 PM DALE BRAZAO STAFF REPORTER

A Toronto woman has launched an $8 million lawsuit against Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Kelvim Escobar, claiming she was drugged and then sexually assaulted by Escobar who videotaped the entire incident.

According to her lawyer, Eddie Greenspan, the woman, who is in her mid-20s, has the tape.

The assault allegedly took place two years ago at Escobar's Toronto waterfront condominium after the woman, who had known Escobar for about a year, accepted his invitation to go to a nightclub in Yorkville, according to the lawsuit filed yesterday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court. Approached just before last night's game with the Kansas City Royals, Escobar, 27, said his lawyer had notified him of the suit, but he couldn't talk about it.

"I mean you have to deal with it, you know, but I can't really make any comment," Escobar told the Star. "I'm sorry, but I can't say anything."

The woman, described only as Jane Doe in the court documents, claims that while at the club, Escobar slipped a "noxious substance" into a glass of champagne, causing her to become dizzy and light-headed.

The lawsuit goes on to say that Escobar then escorted her to his car, where she lost consciousness.

"She did not regain consciousness until the next day when she found herself naked and disoriented in Escobar's bed in his bedroom at his condominium," the lawsuit says.

While Jane Doe was unconscious, Escobar "repeatedly assaulted and battered her," the lawsuit claims.

The statement of claim contains a graphic frame-by-frame description of the alleged sexual assault.

When Jane Doe questioned Escobar about what had transpired in the apartment the night before, he told her she had become ill and vomited and so he had taken her clothes off, the document alleges.

Escobar told her he had wanted to have sex with her, but because she had passed out he had refrained from doing so, the lawsuit claims.

"I wanted to make love to you, but you didn't wake, so I let you sleep," Escobar is quoted as telling the woman.

The woman claims she found semen in her vagina when she awoke.

On her way to the bathroom to get dressed she saw a video camera in the apartment. While dressing, the woman also noticed that there was no vomit on her clothing.

"After dressing, Jane returned to Escobar's bedroom and noticed that the video camera was no longer visible and that Escobar had dropped clothes over a bag. In Escobar's absence, she rummaged about and found the video camera under a bag below the clothing.

"She opened the camera, removed the cassette and hid it in her purse," the lawsuit says.

"Jane did not consent to the sexual assaults and battery ... She has no recollection of them because she was unconscious and could not consent and did not consent," the lawsuit states.

Escobar ended the recording session by saying: "Pobrecita," which is the Spanish word for "poor girl," the lawsuit claims.

Greenspan said he could not comment on why it took the woman two years to go public with her allegations, or whether she had complained to police.

She has also hired lawyer Harvey Strosberg as co-counsel to put her case before the courts.

The lawsuit also claims that Escobar did not use a condom, thereby exposing the woman to both the risk of pregnancy and the risk of sexually transmitted disease.

As a result of the "assaults and battery," Jane Doe has suffered loss of income, is anxious and depressed. She requires and will require medical care and counselling, is distrustful of males and will have difficulty in the future in maintaining interpersonal relationships, the suit claims.

Escobar's conduct, the lawsuit claims, was "highhanded, outrageous, reckless, wanton, entirely without care, deliberate, callous, disgraceful, wilful in disregard of Jane's rights and indifferent to the consequences."

The suit claims $5 million in general damages and $3 million in aggravated and punitive damages. Escobar's lawyer, William Burden, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Venezuelan-born Escobar, a hard-throwing right-hander who is in his seventh season with the Blue Jays, signed a one-year $3.9 million (U.S.) contract with the Jays over the winter. Baseball observers believe he has the stuff to become one of the game's elite closers.

But Escobar, like the rest of the Jays team, is off to a miserable start with a record of one win and a loss and an ERA of 10.80. Up until last night he had registered three saves.

His official bio posted on www.BigLeaguers.com claims the 6-foot-1 210-pound Escobar is "The man with the golden arm." His 38 saves last year made him one of the top closers in the American League and his 54 saves ranks him fourth in franchise history.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Star's Geoff Baker three weeks ago, Escobar talked about what he missed about Venezuela.

"Being around my family. I'm very much a family guy." Escobar said.

"Then, the second thing I miss is the Venezuelan ladies. The girls."

<a href=www.jihadunspun.com>Jihad Unspun Apr 26, 2003 By Ted Rall, Common Dreams

Iraq is going to hell. Shiites are killing Sunnis, Kurds are killing Arabs and Islamists are killing secular Baathists. Baghdad, the cradle of human civilization, has been left to looters and rapists. As in Beirut during the '70s, neighborhood zones are separated by checkpoints manned by armed tribesmen. The war has, however, managed to unite Iraqis in one respect: everyone loathes the United States.

Some Iraqis hate us for deposing Saddam Hussein. No dictator remains in power without the tacit support of at some of his subjects. Now that we've committed the cardinal sin of conquest--getting rid of the old system without thinking up a new one--even those who chafed under Saddam blame us for their present misery.

Others resent our Pentagon-appointed pretender, 58-year-old banker/embezzler Ahmed Chalabi. The State Department points out that Iraq's new puppet autocrat has zero support among Iraqis, having lived abroad since 1958. But who knows? Maybe he was a really popular kid.

Thousands of Iraqis have been reduced to poverty, raped and murdered by rampaging goons as U.S. Marines stood around and watched. Wanna guess how long it will take them to "get over it"? We watched the plunder of museums in Mosul and Baghdad safe at home with our tisk-tisk dismay, but Iraqis will remain outraged by the wanton devastation we wrought through war, permitted through negligence and shrugged off through arrogance. ("We didn't allow it," Rumsfeld shrugged. "It happened.") Imagine foreign troops sitting idly, laughing as hooligans trashed the Smithsonian, stole the gold from Fort Knox and burned down the Department of the Interior.

That was us in Iraq.

But let's forget this penny ante stuff. Let the real looting begin! George W. Bush's bestest buddies, corporate executives at companies which donate money in exchange for a few rounds of golf and a few million-dollar favors, are being handed the keys to Iraq's oil fields.

Bush's brazen Genghis Khan act seems carefully calculated to confirm our worst suspicions. First he appoints retired general Jay Garner, president of a GOP-connected defense contractor, SYColeman Corp., as viceroy of occupied Iraq. "The idea is we are in Iraq not as occupiers but as liberators, and here comes a guy who has attachments to companies that provided the wherewithal for the military assault on that country," marvels David Armstrong, a defense analyst at the National Security News Service. A smart and/or decent president would have picked a civilian for a civil administration post.

Then Bush slips a $680 million contract to the Bechtel Group, whose Republican-oriented board includes such Reagan-era GOP luminaries as secretary of state George Schulz and defense secretary Caspar Weinberger (the late William Casey, Reagan's CIA director, was a Bechtel executive). The deal puts the company in position to receive a big part of the $100 billion estimated total cost of Iraqi reconstruction. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Bechtel gave Republican candidates, including Bush, about $765,000 in PAC, soft money and individual campaign contributions between 1999 and 2002.

Finally, refusing to accept bids from potential competitors, Bush grants a two-year, $490 million contract for Iraqi oil field repairs to Halliburton Co., the Houston-based company where Dick Cheney worked as CEO from 1995 to 2000. "It will look a lot worse if Halliburton gets the USAID [Agency for International Development] contract, too," Bathsheba Crocker, an Iraq specialist for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, warned in March. "Then it really starts looking bad." Guess what! Halliburton has since scored a piece of that $600 million USAID contract.

Are we looking bad yet?

Only Bush's most intimate friends were invited to bid for these contracts. Even businesses based in Great Britain, where Tony Blair risked his political career to support Bush, have been excluded from a rigged process where only U.S.-based, Republican-led, Bush-connected companies need apply.

Two senior Democratic Congressmen, Henry Waxman and John Dingell, are asking the General Accounting Office to look into these sleazy kickback deals. "These ties between the vice president and Halliburton have raised concerns about whether the company has received favorable treatment from the administration," their letter reads. Well, duh. But don't count on appropriate action--like impeachment proceedings--from the do-nothing Dems.

Bush's right-wing Gang of Four--Cheney, Rummy, Condi and Wolfy--saw Operation Iraqi Freedom as a chance to line their buddies' pockets, emasculate the Muslim world, place U.S. military bases in Russia's former sphere of influence and, according to the experts, lower the price of oil by busting OPEC. "There will be a substantial increase in Iraqi oil production [under U.S. occupation], and I wouldn't be surprised if schemes emerged to weaken, if not destroy, OPEC," says Jumberto Calderón, former energy minister of Venezuela. Former OPEC secretary general Fadhil Chalabi (no relation to Ahmed) estimates that increased exploration could potentially double Iraq's proven reserves, which would raise production from 2.4 to 10 million barrels a day. Such Saudi-scale production would "bring OPEC to its knees," says Chalabi. The cartel's member nations, ten of 11 of them predominantly Muslim, would suffer staggering increases in poverty as a result of falling oil revenues, plunging some into the political chaos that breeds Islamist fundamentalism. Meanwhile, the people of Iraq, whose self-flagellating Shias already make the evening news look like a rerun of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, would starve as foreign infidels raked in billions thanks to the oil beneath their land.

Time to dust off the duct tape.

Ted Rall is the author of "Gas War: The Truth Behind the American Occupation of Afghanistan," an analysis of the underreported Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline project and the real motivations behind the war on terrorism. Ordering information is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.