BREAKING NEWS: LARUSSA ARRESTED

[clement]

Tony was given a field sobriety taste and then submitted two more breath test samples at the station. Not sure where the .093 number comes from though.

.093 is over the limit but not by a great deal. Basically we could be talking about the equivalent of half a beer, or less.

Yeah he broke the law and he should be treated like anyone else in the same situation. If he had just been stopped and tested, I'd probably be more inclined to dismiss it. But he fell asleep at a stop light, with the car still in drive. Very dangerous. I'm sure he was exhausted, and the alcohol, probably just made it worse.

I'm sure he learned a valuable lesson last night.

Go Cardinals!

[ThatGuy]

I can't wait to catch flack for this for the entire 2007 season.

Hope Tony learned his lesson. At least he wasn't totally hammered.

Steve Phillips feels that this incident will "make La Russa more human in the eyes of his players."

[clement]

But whatever, it's all kind of ancillary. Like I said, I'm not so offended by the act, but by the fact that a millionaire and public figure could be this stupid. Feel free to respond obviously, but I probably won't belabor the point after this.

Really? Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Britney Spears, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson, Robert Blake, Robert Downey Jr., Billy Swaggart, Phil Spector, Mike Tyson, Gary Glitter, .... I'm sure there are a few 100 others that I'm forgetting off the top of my head.

[Suicide_Squeeze]

Seriously folks, .093 is not driving "drunk". It's driving buzzed, and I'm guessing 90%+ of this forum has driven a vehicle at this level or above, and haven't been caught. If he had 2-3 glasses of wine at a late dinner, he could have blown this. I'm also guessing that Whitey Herzog drove back from multiple fishing outings far more "drunk" than .093.

The reason for being "passed out" I'm personally guessing is an adverse reaction with some medication.

Fired? Retire? Come on. It's an honest mistake that I hope none of us on here ever have to go through.

--P--

Agreed.

I'm with you, too. Gosh, I've driven drunker than that! (Sad, I know.) He's probably exhausted getting ready for everything this season. A few glasses of wine, a late dinner, and bam....it happens. Give the man a break!

[mikechamp]

Well, now we know how Looper ended up in the rotation.

[skmsw]

Tony was given a field sobriety taste and then submitted two more breath test samples at the station. Not sure where the .093 number comes from though.

.093 is over the limit but not by a great deal. Basically we could be talking about the equivalent of half a beer, or less.

Field sobriety test = no assessment of BAL or breath;
Field sobriety test = test of coordination and cognitive responses.

And I think folks are underestimating a .093 a little. Maybe for some people the difference between .08 and .093 is half a drink to a drink, but for most people it takes 4-6 drinks in an hour to get from zero to 0.08 in the first place. The fact that it is common for people to do it does not minimize what effect that has; the fact that such a high percentage of traffic accidents, highway fatalities, ER visits, etc involve diringing and driving tells us that we are underestimating the impact . . .yes it happens, but that's the problem, not the rationalization.

Awright, I'll let this go too, with one final word: in this thread I'm talking about drunk driving, not about TLR. I have close to zero interest in the personal lives of celebrities, and this changes little for me as a Cardinals fan. I'd have made all the same comments about the effects of alcohol and driving under the influence if this thread were about anyone else. And I'll make all the same posts about the Cards and TLR after this "incident" as before it. Off-field stuff is not my concern except for people I know.

[Brodie]

I didn't see this posted.

From Bernie...

Post subject: On La Russa....
Posted: 22 Mar 2007 09:36 am

I don't claim to know what happened last night, but I want to make a couple of observations:

* When I spoke to him on his cell phone last night (about 7:45 FLA time), he was sitting down for a meal with a few friends and looking forward to good food and conversation. This is what Tony does virtually every night during spring training following day games. He'll round up a coach or two, plus any visiting dignitaries who want to go, and he heads to one of his favorite spots, and has a nice long meal, talking baseball for several hours.

* La Russa from everything I know sticks to red wine. He savors it. Again, from what I have seen and know, he goes through a bottle very slowly. He isn't looking to get his drunk on. He's contained in public, reserved in public. Usually the wine is part of these long, leisurely dinners. Or, he'll have some wine after a game (reg season) while reading a book, to wind down from the competition.

* I'm not making excuses for the man, but I know he has very long days in FLA. He gets up very early, has to do all his advance work and supervision of any pertinent on-field work, and then there's the exhibition game. And then more meetings and/or baseball talk. Then he has dinner. I would assume -- again, with not knowing the details of the evening -- that fatigue was a factor. I think by a certain point of the evening, he's pretty wiped out.

* Baseball decisions or not -- we all disagree with him on things -- I think he's a solid guy who lives right, and who tries to do the right thing in his personal life. I'm sure he feels awful about this, for the embarrassment he may have caused his team, his bosses, and himself.

* I made a terrible mistake along these lines many years ago, so I know what it's like, and the feeling of shame is very intense. If others feel compelled to pass moral judgement and throw stones at him, they're free to do so. I won't do it, because I am not without sin. I don't think La Russa needs to be told that he did something wrong. He knows it. He'll beat himself up more than anyone else will.

--B

First time in a long time that I agree with Bernie.

QFT

I feel bad for TRL more than upset, Yes he did something stupid and that doesn't excuse him, but like Bernie said, he will be harder on himself then anyone in the media or fans could be at him.

-Brodie

[JL21]

Awright, I let this go too, with one final word: in this thread I'm talking about drunk driving, not about TLR. I have close to zero interest in the personal lives of celebrities, and this changes little for me as a Cardinals fan. I'd have made all the same comments about the effects of alcohol and driving under the influence if this thread were about anyone else. And I'll make all the same posts about the Cards and TLR after this "incident" as before it. Off-field stuff is not my concern except for people I know.

We know your real agenda, Red Sox fan.

[jim]

Seriously folks, .093 is not driving "drunk". It's driving buzzed, and I'm guessing 90%+ of this forum has driven a vehicle at this level or above, and haven't been caught. If he had 2-3 glasses of wine at a late dinner, he could have blown this. I'm also guessing that Whitey Herzog drove back from multiple fishing outings far more "drunk" than .093.

The reason for being "passed out" I'm personally guessing is an adverse reaction with some medication.

Fired? Retire? Come on. It's an honest mistake that I hope none of us on here ever have to go through.

--P--

Agreed.

I'm with you, too. Gosh, I've driven drunker than that! (Sad, I know.) He's probably exhausted getting ready for everything this season. A few glasses of wine, a late dinner, and bam....it happens. Give the man a break!

Maybe I'm in the minority. But:
1. If guilty he made a serious mistake and should be punished accordingly.
2. I don't judge him for the mistake. He shouldn't have done it, but I've done worse.
3. It has no impact on my perception of his as a person, because most of my perception is as a baseball manager. And this really has nothing to do with being a baseball manager.
4. I'd be willing to bet that if LaRussa saw some of the excuses being made for him in here he would tell you you should be ashamed of yourself.

[haltz]

But whatever, it's all kind of ancillary. Like I said, I'm not so offended by the act, but by the fact that a millionaire and public figure could be this stupid. Feel free to respond obviously, but I probably won't belabor the point after this.

Really? Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Britney Spears, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson, Robert Blake, Robert Downey Jr., Billy Swaggart, Phil Spector, Mike Tyson, Gary Glitter, .... I'm sure there are a few 100 others that I'm forgetting off the top of my head.

I wouldn't want my name on that list.