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Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa blew a tire on the gray Lexus he was driving in a collision with a sidewalk that left the vehicle smoking when he was arrested on misdemeanor DUI charges in February, according to an affidavit filed. by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
La Russa was indicted in late October by the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office after tests taken the night of his arrest showed that his blood alcohol concentration was .095, above the legal limit of .08. He has pleaded not guilty.
News of La Russa’s arrest broke Monday. And more details emerged Tuesday.
An officer found La Russa standing by his truck, asked what happened, and then requested identification. The officer said La Russa reached into his right back pocket, pulled out a large amount of cash, and repeatedly shuffled his credit cards and California driver’s license, according to the affidavit.
The officer reported that he could smell alcohol at La Russa, who had been dining with friends from the Los Angeles Angels, and detained him after a field sobriety test. The affidavit said La Russa initially refused to provide a sample of her blood, urine, or other bodily substance because she did not trust the evidence. Officers obtained two tubes of blood from him after a court order was issued.
According to ESPN, which obtained a more detailed incident report, La Russa appeared incoherent at times and kept mentioning that he is a Hall of Famer while expressing distrust in blood alcohol tests. He said a breath test done at the scene showed a blood alcohol content of .090. And when they put him on the back of a cruiser, La Russa showed a ring and said to an officer, “I’m a Hall of Fame baseball player.”
White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert said Monday the team was aware of the arrest when La Russa, 76, was hired late last month. The team had no further comment Tuesday. La Russa’s attorney, Lawrence Kazan, did not return messages seeking comment.
La Russa, 76, has been the oldest coach in the majors for five years. Dusty Baker from Houston is 71 years old.
La Russa is 2,728-2,365 with six pennants in 33 seasons with the White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis. It was consecrated in Cooperstown in 2014.
Only Hall of Famers Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) have more wins. La Russa and Sparky Anderson are the only coaches to win the World Series in the American League and the National League.
La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Florida in 2007 after police found him asleep inside his sport utility vehicle running at a stoplight and smelling of alcohol.
“I accept full responsibility for my conduct and assure everyone that I have learned a very valuable lesson and that this will never happen again,” La Russa said at the time.
La Russa was hired by Chicago in a surprise move after Rick Renteria was fired in what the team insisted was a mutual decision. La Russa, who is friends with President Jerry Reinsdorf, began his managerial career with the White Sox during the 1979 season.
The Hall of Famer has not led a major league club since 2011, when he led St. Louis past Texas in the World Series. He also won championships with Oakland in 1989 and the Cardinals in 2006.
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