Tony La Russa charged with DUI day before White Sox hire

USA Today also cited an unnamed "high-ranking" White Sox official as saying La Russa's job is not in jeopardy and no club discipline is planned.

When reached by ESPN via telephone Monday, the 76-year-old Hall of Famer responded, "I have nothing to say", and hung up.

The 76-year-old - who was just hired to manage the Chicago White Sox - allegedly hit a curb just before midnight on February 24. which apparently wrecked his tire.

"Because this is an active case", he said, "we can not comment further at this time".

According to ESPN, the former Arizona Diamondbacks Chief Baseball Operator crashed into a curb late in the evening and was found by a peace officer standing next to it. La Russa told the officer, who had detected a "light odor of alcoholic beverage", that he had been at a dinner with friends from the Los Angeles Angels, for whom he was working as a special advisor.

I know the White Sox have already eaten a lot to make this hiring stick, but I don't know how Tony La Russa survives this DUI story as more of the details come out.

La Russa was found standing next to his auto after apparently running it into a curb.

La Russa, 76, was arrested in Maricopa County, Ariz., in February, but charges weren't filed until October 28, the day before the White Sox stunned by the baseball world with his hiring.

The court filing reportedly stated La Russa refused to submit to tests of his alcohol level, prompting the officer to obtain a search warrant for two vials of blood. A spokesman with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office told ESPN that the charges were initially filed in the wrong jurisdiction, which may have accounted for the lengthy delay. If convicted, La Russa could face up to 10 days in jail. Munoz said that a DUI more than seven years earlier would not count as a prior DUI under Arizona law, which has stiff penalties for repeat offenders.