Judge Orders Counseling for Ex-Oakland A’s Pitcher Odom

An Orange County judge Wednesday ordered former Oakland A’s pitcher John (Blue Moon) Odom, charged with threatening his wife at gunpoint, to enroll in a counseling program.

The judge in West Orange County Municipal Court agreed with the suggestion by both Odom’s attorney and the prosecutor that Odom apply to the county Probation Department’s Domestic Violence Diversion Program.

Odom, 40, who appeared in court with his wife Gayle, 32, said later that he will enroll in the program today.

“I’ll go along with it,” said the three-time World Series pitcher, who voluntarily has seen a Santa Ana psychiatrist weekly since January. “The pressure had been on me, but I’m better now. The only problem is I still haven’t found a job.”

Held Wife Hostage

On Dec. 10, Odom held his wife hostage in their Fountain Valley apartment for an hour and allegedly threatened to kill her while holding a shotgun to her head. He held off a SWAT team for another six hours before he was flushed out of the apartment with tear gas. No shots were fired and Odom was arrested without a struggle.

He has said that the outburst was the result of depression over his failure to find work. He had lost his job at a Xerox computer plant in Irvine after he was arrested for allegedly selling a gram of cocaine to a co-worker. Odom has denied the charge. He is due back in court Friday, when his attorney will ask that one of two counts of selling cocaine be dropped.

According to his attorney, Stephan A. DeSales, Odom first must be interviewed to determine if he is eligible for the county program. If he is accepted, DeSales said, he will begin a series of counseling sessions with the Probation Department.

April 22 Court Date

Odom must return to court April 22 with a report from the Probation Department on his progress.

If at the end of the program Odom has abided by all its rules--”don’t break the law, don’t drink, go to the counseling”--the case will be dismissed, DeSales said.