LaRussa: Bottom Of The Fifth

NOVEMBER 29--Handcuffed and sitting alone in a Florida police cruiser, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa spit and mumbled to himself, "That's the way it fucking goes" after being arrested earlier this year for drunk driving.

Police dashboard video of LaRussa's March arrest was released yesterday by Palm Beach prosecutors after he copped to a misdemeanor DUI plea. The Jupiter Police Department videos begin with officers approaching LaRussa's rented Ford Explorer, which was stopped--and running--in an intersection. The baseball manager was asleep at the wheel, with the radio blaring.

He subsequently took a series of field sobriety tests (one-leg stand, reciting the alphabet, etc.) and performed poorly, as can be seen on the video excerpts below. After being cuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car, the 63-year-old LaRussa was filmed spitting and talking to himself.

A second police video shows LaRussa at a sheriff's station, where he submitted to a pair of Breathalyzer tests, both of which recorded his blood alcohol level above the state's .08 limit. As seen in the police station video, LaRussa told deputies that he had consumed two glasses of wine at dinner and had a "long, long day. I'm tired." When informed that two separate test results showed his BAC above the limit, LaRussa asked, "Is that significant in your opinion?" Told that he blew .093 and .092 on his Breathalyzer tests, LaRussa wondered, "What would be a really high number?"

1) A dozing LaRussa is awoken by Florida cops who appear to be surprised that it's the Cardinals manager asleep at the wheel.

 

2) LaRussa wobbles while taking a heel-to-toe field sobriety test.

 

3) While reciting the alphabet, LaRussa stumbles after the letter "n."

 

4) Alone in the back of police car, LaRussa spits and resignedly mumbles, "That's the way it fucking goes, you know."

 

5) After being transported to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office facility, LaRussa agrees to take blood alcohol tests.

 

6) When two separate tests show his BAC is above the state limit, LaRussa asks, "Is that significant in your opinion?"