© Gregory Fisher | 2019 Jul 21
An embarrassing situation just got a little more so for recently hired Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa.
The hall of fame manager was charged with driving under the influence after he allegedly ran his car into a curb in February, leaving it smoking on the side of a Phoenix-area road, according to court records. The White Sox say they knew about the incident prior to hiring La Russa, who has another DUI in his past from a 2007 incident.
Now ESPN has obtained the full arrest report from the latest incident and it doesn’t make the three-time World Series champion look any better. The report shows that La Russa tried to persuade the police to not charge him based on his baseball credentials.
“Do you see my ring?” La Russa asked the arresting officer after being placed in the back of the squad car. “I’m a hall of famer baseball person.”
“I’m legit. I’m a hall of famer brother. You’re trying to embarrass me.”
La Russa told police that he had one glass of wine with dinner before driving. La Russa’s blood-alcohol level then was .093%, over the legal limit of .08%. If convicted, La Russa faces up to 10 days in jail, although most cases first-time offenders in Arizona serve one day, pay a fine and are required to use an ignition interlock device for up to a year, according to ESPN.
La Russa, 76, managed the Oakland A’s from 1986-1995. He won the 1989 World Series and was named Manager of the Year twice (1988, 1992) during that span.
