New White Sox manager Tony La Russa is charged with his second DUI as it's revealed he was arrested in February after crashing his SUV and being 'argumentative' with Arizona cops
Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has been charged with driving under the influence in connection to a previously unrevealed February arrest in Arizona, which the team says it was aware of when hiring the 76-year-old last month.
The arrest had not been reported until ESPN did so on Monday. When contacted by the network, La Russa said 'I have nothing to say' about the arrest, and reportedly hung up the phone.
As a Maricopa County Justice Courts spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail, the arrest occurred in February, but the case was filed on October 28, one day before La Russa's hiring was announced by the White Sox. There is no attorney listed for La Russa on the website.
La Russa allegedly ran his car into a curb in the Phoenix area on February 24. A peace officer found La Russa standing next to his SUV, according to an affidavit filed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
La Russa was taken into custody after a field sobriety test. Police described him as 'argumentative,' and said he refused a breathalyzer test.
White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert said the team was aware of the arrest when La Russa was hired.
'Because this is an active case, we cannot comment further at this time,' Reifert said Monday night in an email.
La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Florida in 2007 after police found him asleep inside his running SUV at a stop light 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 occur again,' La Russa said then.
FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2014, file photo, former Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa stands with his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque before the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers in Chicago. La Russa, the Hall of Famer who won a World Series championship with the Oakland Athletics and two more with the St. Louis Cardinals, is returning to manage the Chicago White Sox 34 years after they fired him, the team announced Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)
La Russa was hired by Chicago in a surprise move after Rick Renteria was let go in what the team insisted was a mutual decision. La Russa, who is friends with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf, started his managing career with the White Sox during the 1979 season.
The Hall of Famer hasn't managed a big 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.
La Russa is the oldest manager in the major leagues by five years. Houston's Dusty Baker is 71.
La Russa is 2,728-2,365 with six pennants over 33 seasons with Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis. He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2014. Only Hall of Famers Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) have more victories. La Russa and Sparky Anderson are the only managers to win the World Series in the American League and National League.
