The Chris Moeller Archives

One night in March

I'm going to assume that since I got three sarcastic e-mails and a crank phone call related to this subject today, it's expected that I post a comment on Cardinals' manager Tony LaRussa's drunk driving arrest early this morning. In case you missed it, the team's skipper was discovered asleep in his car at a stop light in Jupiter, FL at 4am, with his foot on the brake pedal of his SUV. He registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.093, above the state of Florida's legal limit of 0.08.

I've eased up on LaRussa in recent years. A World Championship, in particular, went a long way towards that end. The manager had long been regarded as one of sport's most intense competitors, and sometimes the level of intimidation on display and his strong-arming of opponents put him, to one's mind, more in the company of a Corleone, or a Soprano, or a Clinton. In recent years, he's publicly softened. First, displaying warmth and emotion after the death of pitcher Darryl Kile in 2002, and then progressively showing more patience and levity towards his detractors in St. Louis (myself once included.)

What fascinates me most about this story (and of course, too much is just sorry and unfortunate) is the public reaction of sports fans. LaRussa is a very unique character, you see. He's not sport's most fiery leader, like maybe Lou Piniella, or most ill-tempered, like perhaps Bobby Knight, and others may match his intensity (though very few in the relatively even-keeled realm of baseball,) but none are more focused on gaining that competitive advantage, and none have been more concerned with guarding every ounce of vulnerability. That's why when he allows that door to slip open and the vulnerability to escape, twenty-five years of truly exemplory public and professional service can so quickly evaporate.

Tony LaRussa has never been a public person who pointed the finger at others. Unlike so many other cases, this substance abuse episode did not unveil a hypocrite. He's a high-profile individual who has embarassed himself, and he will pay an appropriate price. As a celebrity, he will be treated better than the average or below-average Joe by law enforcement and judicial authorities, but he'll face greater public humiliation. He's got more sincere and humble public apologies still to deliver, and a brand new responsibility to build public awareness for the anti-drunk driving message. But one of the positive aspects is that, with a by-all-accounts civilized gentleman like LaRussa, he understands all of this.

posted by CM @ 8:26 PM