‘Blue Moon’ Odom, Ex-A’s Pitcher, Jailed After a Six-Hour Standoff With Police

Former pitcher John Lee (Blue Moon) Odom was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail Wednesday after a six-hour standoff with Fountain Valley Police, who said he had threatened to shoot his wife.

Arraignment on a charge of felony assault was scheduled for Thursday in Orange County Municipal Court in Westminster, said Irene Williams, a clerk at the Orange County Jail. She said no one had posted Odom’s bail by afternoon.

Odom, 40, pitched for the Oakland A’s from 1968 to 1975 and was selected to the American League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969.

He holds three club records: most bases on balls--112; most wild pitches--17, and most strikeouts in a nine-inning game--13.

Police were called to his apartment about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. They found Odom holding his wife at gunpoint with a shotgun and threatening to kill her, said police Sgt. Norm Satterfield.

His wife was released unharmed about 30 minutes later, and special weapons and hostage negotiation teams began talking to Odom on the telephone, Satterfield said.

Three hours later, Odom cut off negotiations, the sergeant said.

About 1:30 a.m., police lobbed four tear-gas canisters into the apartment. Satterfield said Odom surrendered immediately and was booked for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon. No shots were fired, and there were no injuries.

Police Lt. Dave Brokaw quoted Odom’s wife as saying the former pitcher had been depressed because he was out of work.