The penalty for driving drunk, as a repeat offender, in a “strict” state such as Arizona, has today been revealed: one day of house arrest, $1,383 ...
... and untold bad publicity and embarrassment for your employer.
Of course, the White Sox would need to have an awareness of such things to feel embarrassment over this fatuous hire.
Our new manager’s lawyer issued a statement (how about THAT for a Christmas present, kids!):
And the White Sox took that statement, and raised:
La Russa met the media after his punishment was announced:
Having completed alcohol counseling, Tony La Russa says he does not feel he has a drinking problem, but said he has to prove it.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) December 21, 2020
“If I have a drink, I will not drive."
La Russa: "I know I don't have a drinking problem, just like I know I made a serious mistake in February. Where I am right now is to prove I don't have a drinking problem and to prove it every day off the field that I'm going to handle it."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 21, 2020
To which, in reply, our old friend mechanical turk raises a valid point:
He knows he doesn't have a drinking problem. Is he gonna stop drinking? That's what people with drinking problems do! He's gonna keep drinking but know he can stop any time he wants- not being able to stop is what someone with a problem would do. He just doesn't want to stop.
— mechanical turk (@_mechanicalturk) December 21, 2020
There were actual baseball questions of La Russa, as well — mostly, it seems, about the need for a closer. But who cares, it’s all some weird attempt by someone(s) in the media to defray attention from the issue at hand. Seriously, who shows up at a DUI press conference and asks about closers, today of all days? Perhaps we can find out what Tony wants from Santa Claus this year, as well.
When listening yesterday to episode cuatro of the Killer B’s podcast, I was struck by the plaudits for new New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. And this is not to pick on Tommy and Keelin, because it seems the entire baseball world is intoxicated by Cohen’s thick wallet and folksy, color-uni-poll charm Twitter account.
While we are losing our heads, rightfully, over the White Sox hire of a guy who has now been convicted twice in the past 13 years of DUI, Mets fans celebrate a new owner who paid almost $2 billion to stay in the good graces of the SEC after getting caught insider trading and is almost definitely guilty of money laundering, bank fraud and racketeering as well.
As bitter as this piece on La Russa is, and as negative as our coverage of him has been — not unfair, I’ll be quick to point out — I’ll advise some perspective. Steve Cohen is a CRIMINAL, stealing money from folks like you and me and getting away with it, laughing his way into the Citi Field owners’ suite.
La Russa was a poor choice for White Sox manager, and has now been caught and convicted again for drunk driving. But now, we try to move on. Perhaps La Russa will learn something from all of this, and pass those lessons on to his team and community, without too many regrets and closet skeletons to live down.
I think I can speak for all of us at South Side Sox in saying I earnest hope that will be the case, and that by the end of La Russa’s tenure as manager we can be proud. Proud of the results on the field — and off of it.
As the Hall of Fame baseball person himself acknowledges, though, he has some work to do.