17 replies to this topic

[John Clarkson Lemon]

I've been puzzled and surprised by the lack of attention that's been given to LaRussa's DUI. He's generally trumpeted in the press as being the greatest manager of our time, has been the subject of a best-selling book, had a video game named after him, and is the manager of the reigning World Series champions. I would argue that LaRussa is the Cardinals' biggest star figure alongside Pujols, is the NL's best-known manager, and is (maybe)second only to Joe Torre as the highest profile manager in MLB.

Some questions for debate:

1. For a manager who has been lauded for being a "genius" and a leader, do you find it surprising that the sports media hasn't given his falling asleep drunk in traffic more attention?
2. Why do you think it is that LaRussa appears to have been given a free pass on this?

My own feeling is that a high-profile MLB player would not be given the same free pass as LaRussa for a DUI incident, but the only reasons I can come up with are ones of class (LaRussa's famous law degree) and race.

Any thoughts?

[bowdog]

.08 = whatever

[Sea Dog]

.08 = whatever

Also means legally drunk.

I don't drink. Growing up, I made the conscious decision not to drink. There are some slight medical concerns here, but the big reason was that it just never appealed to me, so I quickly earned designated driver status, which was fine. I would rather drive, knowing that my friends are safe, rather than hearing about how a friend got behind the wheel drunk, got into an accident and did harm to themselves or some innocent person like me.

I hate driving on New Year's Eve, because there aren't enough people on the roads like me, but it's better than one more drunk on the roads.

No excuses, no free passes. LaRussa's just fortunate that he didn't do any harm to himself or anyone else. Very fortunate.

[doc]

I've been puzzled and surprised by the lack of attention that's been given to LaRussa's DUI. He's generally trumpeted in the press as being the greatest manager of our time, has been the subject of a best-selling book, had a video game named after him, and is the manager of the reigning World Series champions. I would argue that LaRussa is the Cardinals' biggest star figure alongside Pujols, is the NL's best-known manager, and is (maybe)second only to Joe Torre as the highest profile manager in MLB.

Some questions for debate:

1. For a manager who has been lauded for being a "genius" and a leader, do you find it surprising that the sports media hasn't given his falling asleep drunk in traffic more attention?
2. Why do you think it is that LaRussa appears to have been given a free pass on this?

My own feeling is that a high-profile MLB player would not be given the same free pass as LaRussa for a DUI incident, but the only reasons I can come up with are ones of class (LaRussa's famous law degree) and race.

Any thoughts?

If LaRussa worked in Boston he would have been publically executed by now despite the WS win. In Ny he'd write a book and make millions. He works on St Louis Mo where they are genteel and civilized, so I don't think we'll hear anymore.

[John Clarkson Lemon]

.08 = whatever

By this logic, "whatever" was enough to make the guy fall asleep with his foot on the brake at a traffic light.

MLB (and other pro leagues) expends a great deal of energy promoting itself as a league of upstanding role models. A great many fans are irate at PED users, in part, because most of the PEDs used are illegal. MLB doesn't like for its players or managers to be law-breakers (at least not publicly) and neither do many of the fans. LaRussa passed out while driving. It'd be a big deal if it was Pujols - we'd see a million articles about the dangers of alcohol abuse, etc., a million public apologies, and so forth. LaRussa faces the press everyday and I haven't seen this thing make more than a blip.

[sergeante]

There are some rules that the press and MLB both have to follow. At this point there's only a police report and a charge sheet. The press reported these facts. LaRussa quite intelligently apologized for being the cause of a disturbance, then shut his mouth. So there's nothing for the press to work on there.

The MLB commisioner can't do anything until someone has actually been found guilty of something. If LaRussa is found guilty -- and he probably will be -- then will be the time for the Selig to step in (if the Cardinals don't beat him to the punch) and hand out a suspension. This will also be the time for the media feeding frenzy. Just because nobody's hacking away yet doesn't mean that knives aren't being sharpened.

BTW, LaRussa comes from a generation where .10 was the legal limit. He probably wasn't behaving any differently, in terms of alcohol consumption, a couple of weeks ago than he has all of his life, and probably thought he had no reason to. Just because he has a college education and is kind to animals doesn't safeguard him from being human, and nobody should expect it to.

[Webster]

What are the MLB repercussions if a player had done the same thing ?

[sergeante]

What are the MLB repercussions if a player had done the same thing ?

Probably nothing much of anything. In all the last 70 years that players have had cars, some must have gotten drunk driving raps that stuck. I've never heard of a suspension or a fine for such, however.

[Me Amo Papi]

Probably nothing much of anything. In all the last 70 years that players have had cars, some must have gotten drunk driving raps that stuck. I've never heard of a suspension or a fine for such, however.

Um, how about: Dontrelle Willis, Gustavo Chachin, and Esteban Lolizia. All three were picked up for DUI this pre or off season. None of them have been fined, suspended, or even lambasted by the media. The A's took the free beer out of the clubhouse, that's it.

In a world where PED users are crucified for doing something that only hurts them (and that's not even really proven, depending on the steroid and the individual), its unbelieveable to me that players who instead get behind the wheel drunk and risk the lives of everyone on the road get off scott free.

If we're going to hold baseball players to any kind of moral standards, then DUIs cannot be allowed to just happen.

[MidnightC]

If we're going to hold baseball players to any kind of moral standards, then DUIs cannot be allowed to just happen.

Very true.

Genius or no, there's no excusing what LaRussa did. He should've called a cab. A DUI is no laughing matter.

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

I've been puzzled and surprised by the lack of attention that's been given to LaRussa's DUI. He's generally trumpeted in the press as being the greatest manager of our time, has been the subject of a best-selling book, had a video game named after him, and is the manager of the reigning World Series champions. I would argue that LaRussa is the Cardinals' biggest star figure alongside Pujols, is the NL's best-known manager, and is (maybe)second only to Joe Torre as the highest profile manager in MLB.

Some questions for debate:

1. For a manager who has been lauded for being a "genius" and a leader, do you find it surprising that the sports media hasn't given his falling asleep drunk in traffic more attention?
2. Why do you think it is that LaRussa appears to have been given a free pass on this?

My own feeling is that a high-profile MLB player would not be given the same free pass as LaRussa for a DUI incident, but the only reasons I can come up with are ones of class (LaRussa's famous law degree) and race.

Any thoughts?

A few possible reasons that I can think of:
1) He's a manager. Players are expected to keep themselves in shape and being shattered isn't necessarily a great training program, unless you're name is Lowe or Wells. I don't see how his "genius" as a manager is impacted by this. Hell, look at Billy Martin, also considered a great manager.

2) I don't think race or class has anything to do with it. Like someone else said, it has more to do with geography. If it happened here, I'm sure there'd be some talk about it because that's what they do here. Look at what a grill from Manny did for crying out loud. However, see #3 about why it still probably wouldn't be a massive story for too long.

3) Yes it's a crime, but it's alcohol related which I think gets less play than assault, other drugs, etc. One possible reason - how many talking heads in Boston (and other cities) do you think have done the same thing? I'm thinking it's not a low number.

[tmorgan]

Well I think there are a few issues, primarily that it seems individuals getting DUIs is less of a big deal than it should be. I mean it seems like DUIs generally lead to rehab in the media, not public outcry. Bud Selig ought to impose suspensions for crimes. What could the Cards gain from suspending their own manager? Or the Marlins from suspending their own ace? I'd make a crack about Anheuser Busch, but it wouldn't be good or in good taste.

I also have to wonder what the hypothetical difference would be between what happened to LaRussa in the media and what would happen Francona or Belichick.

[Retire#14]

Larussa probably gets a free pass for many of the same reasons many famous athltes get free passes for their transgressions/ A few close to hime examples:

Dereck Lowe smacked his wife, he's cheered in Boston

Carl Everett involved in abuse of his kids, cheered in Boston

Julio Lugo, smacked his wife, he's welcomed as the Sox shortstop

Mo Vaughn drunk, rolls truck, is cheered upon first at bat back with the Sox

Coach Belicheck shoves a photographer, nothing happens to him, Kenny Rogers shoves a photgrappher and he is suspended and is the Devil incarnate

Ted Kennedy kills someone and he is a MA Senator until he dies

Old broadcast pal Sean Mcdoughna walks away from a car accident, never reports it, nothing happens to him

Moral high grounds is always fun when it's the other teams guy. Heads are frequently buried in the sand when it's your own guy

[Me Amo Papi]

Larussa probably gets a free pass for many of the same reasons many famous athltes get free passes for their transgressions/ A few close to hime examples:

Dereck Lowe smacked his wife, he's cheered in Boston

Carl Everett involved in abuse of his kids, cheered in Boston

Julio Lugo, smacked his wife, he's welcomed as the Sox shortstop

Mo Vaughn drunk, rolls truck, is cheered upon first at bat back with the Sox

Coach Belicheck shoves a photographer, nothing happens to him, Kenny Rogers shoves a photgrappher and he is suspended and is the Devil incarnate

Ted Kennedy kills someone and he is a MA Senator until he dies

Old broadcast pal Sean Mcdoughna walks away from a car accident, never reports it, nothing happens to him

Moral high grounds is always fun when it's the other teams guy. Heads are frequently buried in the sand when it's your own guy

Now wait a minute. You're awfully quick to judge these guys, when most of what you said isn't true:

Lowe cheated on his wife after he left boston.

Everett was eventually traded out of town for a bag of balls, not exactly to the dismay of a cheering mob of fans. He's been booed on return visits.

Lugo has been exonerated in that incident.

Mo, okay, sure-- although that was in early spring training. He was cheered in his first fenway AB, a month and a half later. Who's to say what would have happened if he was arrested in June?

Belichick shoved a guy who was in the way, not maliciously threw a guy's camera to the ground.

And last I checked Ted Kennedy and Sean McDougnah don't play for the Sox (and Kennedy would be president if he hadn't killed that girl).

Were you at Fenwat or did you see the game where Brett Myers took the mound the day after being arrested for spousal abuse? That guy got booed like he was Bucky Boone. I know he doesn't play for the sox, but clearly there is at least some kind of recognition of morals from Sox fans.

I know that your larger point is "Moral high grounds is always fun when it's the other teams guy" but I don't really think that's relevent to the discussion. Okay, maybe we would only mention how crazy this is when it happens to LaRussa. So what? I don't think anyone here is aruging that only non-red sox should be punished for DUIs. Maybe we too overlooked it when it was Mo Vaughn or whoever, but that doesn't mean we can't notice it now and say something about it. For a fan, it's excusable to overlook a problem when it's your favorite player. For an orginization like MLB, it's a joke, and a terrible example for kids. If Mo or anyone else was DUI, he should have been suspended or fined, end of story.

Edited by Me Amo Papi, 04 April 2007 - 04:21 PM.

[PlantiersSquat]

I'm confused, why are we concerned about LaRussa's DUI?

[Cuzittt]

I'm confused, why are we concerned about LaRussa's DUI?

That's a good question. Lurkers are able to post in the Major League Forums, so non-Sox topics should be started there.

-Brandon

[Fred not Lynn]

In a world where PED users are crucified for doing something that only hurts them (and that's not even really proven, depending on the steroid and the individual), its unbelieveable to me that players who instead get behind the wheel drunk and risk the lives of everyone on the road get off scott free.

If we're going to hold baseball players to any kind of moral standards, then DUIs cannot be allowed to just happen.

The rules of sport should manage the abuse of drugs in sport, the law of the land is there to punish DUI. Far too many people get the two confused.

And those who do doping in sport hurt others by forcing others to do doping in order to remain competitive...it isn't a victimless act.

And doping in sport has pretty much been proven to be a dangerous practice...or perhaps you'd like to discuss the matter over drinks on a date with Heidi Krieger

Oh...and I think the reason that the LaRussa offense has gotten so little ink is that, franky, between Ponson, Loiza, Chacin and Willis it just isn't news anymore when a baseball guy gets a DUI.

Edited by Fred not Lynn, 04 April 2007 - 06:35 PM.

[Webster]

I'm confused, why are we concerned about LaRussa's DUI?

I'm confused.

Why would you even reply with this question ? If the topic is of no concern to you; move along please !