Crime Archives

Alberto J. Callaspo spent seven hours in jail after running a red light and being found driving under the influence.

Via MLB FanHouse, a Red Sox scout was caught showing off:

A Boston Red Sox scout was arrested, accused of masturbating at the window of his hotel room in front of two women and two underage girls at the swimming pool, records show.

Jesse Levis, 39, faces two felony charges for committing lewd and lascivious acts in front of children under the age of 16.

Levis was a catcher for Cleveland and Milwaukee during his playing career. It turns out this wasn't his first time:

The hotel manager, Ken Glass, told police a similar incident had happened last year, when Levis was checked into a room on the fourth floor overlooking the pool, the report said.

Somehow, I don't think he'll be back next season.

Another Cardinals player is in trouble with the law:

Cardinals minor-league pitcher Donnie Smith was jailed Wednesday night and faces a felony battery charge stemming from a bloodied nose last September.

Smith, 25, is accused of punching a Florida man in the face at a restaurant near the Cardinals' facility at Roger Dean Stadium. He was arrested Wednesday on a charge of aggravated battery and released on $3,000 bail Thursday evening, according to the Palm Beach County sheriff's website.

The Cardinals became aware of the arrest Thursday, a day after the team released major-leaguer Scott Spiezio, who is facing six misdemeanor charges in California.

The club said it was still gathering information on Smith's case.

"We're looking into it," general manager John Mozeliak said. "After we learn the facts, we'll determine if we will wait for the justice system to do its due process or if we need to react prior to that."

Starting with La Russa's DUI last spring, it's certainly been a bad year for the Cardinals.

I didn't realize Jim Leyritz was carrying a passenger the night of his fatal accident:

The passenger, Bruce Barger, 20, of West Chester, Pa., told police he saw Leyritz reach down as if he were fiddling with the radio or had dropped something right before the crash.

'I had looked up and saw that the light was turning, was turning red and I go . . . `Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,' you know, said something like that and he went through it and then hit the car,'' Barger told Fort Lauderdale traffic homicide investigator Jill Hirsch.

He told Hirsch that Leyritz seemed composed and was not swerving before the crash.

Reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, Barger declined to comment. According to the court documents, Barger was visiting relatives who knew Leyritz's friends who were out together on the night of the crash.

After the accident, Barger, who said he had been drinking that night, walked to a nearby gas station where he called his brother to pick him up. He was interviewed by police by phone on Jan. 23, and told them he left the scene because he did not realize the severity of the crash and he had a plane to catch in the morning.

Barger's blood alcohol level was even higher than Leyritz's.

Reginald Riddle received a life sentence today for the murder of Dernell Stenson.

Reginald Riddle, 23, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as part of a plea agreement in 2006. Under Arizona law, he must be sentenced to life in prison, but Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield decided Friday morning that Riddle would be eligible for parole after 25 years.

Defense Attorney Steve Koestner made the case that Riddle was simply a person who got swept up in an incident by people he trusted, to which Gottsfield agreed.

"I believe that this man is a follower, and has never been a leader," Gottsfield said during the hearing in Phoenix.

Shallow Center feels the Astros pain.

Jim Leyritz was way over the legal blood alcohol limit for driving in Florida:

The former catcher who retired eight years ago balked at breath and blood tests for alcohol tests even after learning that 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch died in the Dec. 28 wreck.

Fort Lauderdale cops said Wednesday a blood test taken nearly three hours after the 3:20 a.m. collision registered a .14 alcohol level. The legal limit in Florida is .08.

The amount of alcohol in blood reaches its highest level about an hour after drinking.

A second blood test taken at 7:12 a.m., nearly four hours after the crash showed a .13 level.

It looks like Jim is going to lose his freedom for a long time.

The state of New York suspended Jim Leyritz's license last month.

New York State suspended the Florida license a month before the crash, but the license is still valid in Florida. However, that may be only a technicality because the New York suspension had not yet been entered in the national registry as of Wednesday.

Leyritz was ticketed outside Albany, N.Y., for using a cell phone while driving June 20, and his license was suspended Nov. 23 for failing to answer the summons, according to motor vehicle records.

I suppose the only way it could get worse for Jim at this point is if we find out he stole the car.

The New York Daily News covers the Jim Leyritz traffic accident that left a woman dead.

Cops said Leyritz was stinking drunk with red, watery eyes. He flunked several sobriety tests and refused to voluntarily submit to a Breathalyzer or blood test. After he was booked on a manslaughter charge and released on $11,000 bail, Leyritz went into seclusion.

Jim Leyritz is accused of running a red light and killing the driver of another car:

Fort Lauderdale authorities got a call at 3:20 a.m. that a crash had occurred in the city's entertainment district, Collins said.

She said Leyritz was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition when he collided at an intersection with a 30-year-old woman driving a 2000 Mitsubishi. The woman was ejected from the car. She was critically injured and transported to the Broward General Medical Center, where she died, Collins said. Her identity was not immediately released.

Witnesses told police Leyritz, who lives in Plantation, Fla., had a red light.

Police believe alcohol was involved in the crash, though investigators are waiting for the results of blood alcohol tests, Collins said.

My thoughts go out to the victim's family. No matter the results of the blood alcohol test, Leyritz just ruined his life.

Taylor Bruce tells the story of Dernell Stenson's death. I hadn't realized that Stenson attempted to fight back. He went for the gun of one of the assailants when Stenson had the opportunity, but failed to reach the weapon first.

One shot was fired, then another two in rapid sequence. Stenson pushed open his door and attempted to dive from the speeding Rodeo, but his right leg got tangled in the seatbelt.

Griffith floored the accelerator, firing more shots as he dragged Stenson, facedown, a football-field's length along the asphalt.

Griffith then slammed on the brakes and, with Rio, unhinged Stenson's leg from the belt. They jumped back into the SUV and sped away, leaving Stenson on the street.

The whole article is well worth the read.

I don't understand this story:

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston on Sept. 11 ordered Anderson, Conte and two other BALCO defendants to return or destroy the documents they received after they were charged in 2004 with operating a steroids ring at the now-defunct Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. Federal prosecutors, who requested the order, argue that since all four men -- including BALCO executive James Valente and former track coach Remi Korchemny -- ultimately pleaded guilty, they no longer need the documents. The papers include other athletes' grand jury testimony and search warrants used to raid BALCO and Anderson's house in 2003.

But the attorneys for the men argue that many of the documents are beyond their control, having been leaked to the media or voluntarily turned over to federal lawmakers and Greek government officials conducting steroid probes of their own.

...

In court papers filed Monday, the four BALCO figures said they fear prosecution based on Illston's order if the sealed documents are leaked again.

I'm sorry I'm being dense here, but if they hand the papers back and there's a leak, why would they be accused of the leak? If they keep the papers and there's a leak, then it seems to me they would be suspects. Does a lawyer care to explain the logic of this to me?

Two doctors received sentences in connection with the Signature probe Friday.

According to a federal investigation in Rhode Island of Internet drug operations - which is separate but similar to the ongoing state investigation in Albany, N.Y. - Santi admitted using the name and prescription number of a dying former co-worker for at least five years. She did so despite having her medical license revoked in 1999 and "without ever meeting, diagnosing, speaking to or observing" her clients, Goldstein told the court yesterday.

From 2005 to 2006, Goldstein said Santi earned $125,000 for the forged signatures.

"She committed this offense with a stroke of a pen and a push of a fax button from her home," Goldstein said.

Furthermore, she said Santi recruited fellow New York City doctor Victor Mariani, a former medical school classmate of Santi's in Argentina, to participate in the scam. Mariani, 73, was sentenced yesterday to one year of home confinement, two additional years of supervised probation, a $6,000 fine and forfeiture of $34,485 in earnings. Unlike Santi, who had a history of previous insurance fraud, Mariani was a first-time offender and was considered "not as culpable" as Santi, Goldstein said.

Yuniesky Betancourt is expected to miss Seattle's game today to testify in the trial of Gustavo Dominguez. Dominquez is accused of smuggling ballplayers directly from Cuba to the United States, and Betancourt was among those allegedly brought in. Dominguez didn't do so well, however:

In what must seem a bitter twist of fate to Dominguez, Medina-Santos testified on Thursday that the agent lost hundreds of thousands on the targeted trips. After Betancourt made it U.S. shores, he got another agent, signed a multi-million dollar contract and never paid Dominguez, according to testimony.

"This baseball business was a failure,'' Medina-Santos testified on Thursday.

Dominguez seems like small potatoes in the human smuggling game. At least he should get some sympathy for helping people escape from Cuba.

A Venezuelan court sentenced Ugeth Urbina to 14 years in jail:

Urbina, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.

Urbina maintains his innocence.

The police busted Tony La Russa for drunk stopping:

Police arrested St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, a misdemeanor, after he was found sleeping at a green light in his running Ford SUV about midnight at Frederick Small Boulevard and Military Trail.

Police on Thursday said they grew suspicious because the running SUV was stopped at a light that went through two cycles of green. A driver behind it had to go around, police said.

Rough day at the ballpark? The Cardinals pitching staff owns the best ERA in spring training, so it's not like there's a lot of pressure on Tony right now. Maybe he's just part of the long history of hard drinking, successful managers.

I wonder if he'll serve as his own attorney?

Update: There's a great map of the incident scene at Deadspin.

Gustavo Chacin got into a bit of trouble with the law:

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Gustavo Chacin was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

Chacin was stopped by Tampa police early Friday morning, according to a copy of the charge report posted on the Hillsborough County sheriff's Web site.

You'd think with all the players arrested for this over the last few years, the others would get the message and at least hire someone to drive for them.

J Lentner writes:

I wonder if you or any of you fellow bloggers have insight as to why Bonds has not been indicted. Assuming that the information from the Chronicle reporters is mostly true (a big assumption but I'm not talking about a conviction) it seems to me he should have been indicted by now.

I have no special insight, but here's what I replied:

Prosecutors like to bring indictments they can win. My guess is they don't have an air tight case. The ex-mistress is one witness who says Bonds knew about the steroid use and is willing to testify. But given she's a jilted lover, who knows how much the jury will trust her. What they'd really like is Greg Anderson to verify her testimony. "I gave Barry these drugs on this date and he knew what he was taking," or, "Barry asked me to find him drugs that would help build his body." Remember, Bonds said he didn't knowingly take steroids. So if Anderson gets up and says, "I just gave him things and told him to trust me," it's tough to convict Bonds of lying.

I remember listening to a Kerry stump speech on NPR during the 2004 campaign. One of the things he said was that if he were president, Lay and Skilling of Enron would be in jail by now. Apart from the fact that Kerry was convicting people without a trial, as a former prosecutor he knows it takes time to build a case, especially to make sure the evidence can't be challenged. Given that everyone in that case either reached a plea agreement or was convicted (or died), the prosecutor did a very good job, and not rushing was the right thing to do. I think that is going on here. They're not going to indict Bonds unless there is a very high probability that they'll get a conviction, and that's how it should be.

The ATTB thinks Daisuke Matsuzaka broke the law by drinking beer in a commerical:

The regulation in question is foolish even as applied to the United States. Consumers should be able to decide for themselves whether or not seeing athletes chugging beer is a good recommendation for the product. While an ad that incorrectly claims that drinking beer "will enhance athletic prowess" may indeed be misleading advertising, an ad that merely portrays an athlete drinking a beer is just ordinary "image advertising" that consumers are more than capable of evaluating for themselves. I am not going to get into technical First Amendment analysis here. But it seems to me that censoring advertising not for false factual claims about the product, but merely for promoting a favorable image of a product that the government disapproves of, is a clear violation of constitutional free speech rights - even if the courts have wrongly concluded otherwise.

What makes the ATTB action against Matsuzaka particularly reprehensible, however, is that the ad in question isn't being aired in the United States. It is a Japanese-language ad that will only be shown in Japan, where ads showing athletes drinking beer are perfectly legal. Not only is the ATTB engaging in censorship of American advertising, it also claims the right to censor ads in a foreign country.

There must be a lot of Yankees fans at the ATTB.

Hat tip, Instapundit.

Steve Swindal ran into a problem with the law:

George Steinbrenner's son-in-law and designated successor to run the New York Yankees was arrested early Thursday on a charge of driving under the influence.

Yankees general partner Steve Swindal was arrested by the St. Petersburg Police at 4:26 a.m., according to a copy of the charge report posted on the Pinellas County Sherriff's Office's Web site. He was booked for a misdemeanor and released from jail in Largo at 9:53 a.m. on $250 bond.

A member of the police department's DUI squad pulled Swindal over at 2:12 a.m. after he cut the officer's cruiser off in traffic, police spokesman Bill Proffitt said.

"She had to brake and take evasive action to avoid hitting him," Proffitt said.

Cutting off a police car is never a good idea, even if sober. Seems like Swindal is taking after the Yankees of old.

Rollie Fingers talks to the media about his tax situation:

"I'm not a tax dodger," Fingers said Friday in a telephone interview from his Las Vegas home. "I pay my taxes."

The state Department of Revenue has a different view and says Fingers, who last lived in Wisconsin in 1985, owes the state $1,433,609 in back taxes.

But Fingers says that can't possibly be right and says the recent unearthing of some old W-2 forms shows he paid $190,000 in state taxes and more than $1.1 million in federal taxes in the years he worked in Wisconsin.

That might not be enough evidence, however. As a result, Fingers said he and his new tax attorney were doing all they could to find more tax records that will vindicate him.

Some of Rollie's tax records were lost in a hurricane, so that might be tough.

The DA dropped charges against Jake Peavy after he issued an apology for his actions parking his truck at the airport.

"The decision comes after both private and public apologies by Mr. Peavy to the officers and to the court," said Mobile District Attorney John Tyson Jr., according to the Union-Tribune. "I personally believe his apology was sincere. I believe Mr. Peavy will never be in such a hurry in an airport again. I believe Mr. Peavy will be attentive to police officer requests in the future. I think that his conduct is forever changed, and he certainly understands the need for airport security these days."

I'm sure everyone is happy this was resolved so quickly and easily.

Rays of Light posts on the latest trouble for Elijah Dukes.

An attorney for the shooting victim who accused Juan Uribe says the investigation will take about two months, making Uribe's chances of training with the White Sox slim.

Whether or not the case is an issue throughout the season, general manager Kenny Williams has said the Sox are comfortable with Alex Cintron assuming Uribe's starting role at short.

Offensively, the White Sox lose some power but pick up some OBA with Cintron, but neither is a good offensive player.

Juan Uribe was accused in taking part in a shooting in the Dominican Republic, and that may cost him his 2007 season:

Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe may sit out the 2007 season after a judge ordered him to make twice-monthly court appearances in a Dominican Republic shooting case.

"I am going to decide if I am playing in the major leagues or not this year," Uribe said Friday. "It looks very ugly to be accused of something. But first I am going to resolve this and then I will go to the major leagues."

I'm not sure I understand this. The article says Uribe has to be in court on the 15th and 30th of every month. So why can't he miss a few days at a time from the season? Or does his visa prevent him from traveling back and forth between the US and DR too often?

Correction: Juan, not Jose Uribe.

Rollie Fingers appears to owe the state of Wisconsin a good chunk of money:

The state Department of Revenue lists Roland G. Fingers as owing $1,433,609. Fingers' listed address is in Las Vegas, and the birth date in public records there matches the baseball player.

The only salary listed for Fingers at BaseballReference.com is his $1 million in 1985, for the Milwaukee Brewers. If in his four season with Milwaukee he ran up about $350 in back taxes, I can see where that might grow to $1.4 million 20 years later, although that's assuming a rather high rate of interest.

A Braves draft pick takes a baseball bat to a car:

Steven Michael Evarts, 19, a standout pitcher for Robinson High School, was arrested Monday on charges of criminal mischief causing $1,000 or more in damage. Evarts was released on a $2,000 bond.

Evarts and two other men were seen damaging Barbara Montague's Chevrolet Blazer on Dec. 9, said Laura McElory, a spokeswoman for the Tampa Police Department. It's believed Evarts and Montague's son were in a dispute regarding their friends competing for the same spot on another high school baseball team, McElory said.

Damage to the vehicle, estimated at more than $3,700, included smashed windows and dents to the vehicle's body, police reports said. The other two suspects have not been arrested.

It seems he was channeling John Cleese:

When Basil's car breaks down on his way back to his gourmet night, it sets off one of his most memorable meltdowns. "Start, you vicious bastard!" he screams at his car. He then warns the car he is counting to three, and when it still doesn't start, he leaps out and shouts, "You stalled just once too often!... I've laid it on the line to you time and time again!... I'm gonna give you a damn good thrashing!" Basil runs off-screen and returns with a tree branch, which he smacks against the hood and windshield of the car in a fury.

Of course, when Cleese beats a car, it's hilarious!

Good news for Juan Uribe:

Dominican prosecutors say they've seen no proof that White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe had anything to do with the shooting of two men, and they will not pursue charges if no evidence is presented within 10 days.

Uribe, his brother and a friend were questioned and released following the Oct. 13 shooting that wounded a Dominican farmer and a captain in the Italian Navy in the coastal city of Juan Baron, about 40 miles southwest of Santo Domingo.
The farmer, Antonio Gonzalez Perez, said he was arguing with Uribe, a Dominican native, when the player pulled out a pistol and opened fire. The naval captain did not press charges. Uribe's lawyers said he was not in Juan Baron when the shooting occurred.

Lonnie Smith planned to murder John Schuerholz in 1988. Think how many division titles his inaction cost teams like the Giants, Phillies and Mets! So children, heed this advice:

M'kay, kids, you shouldn't do drugs, m'kay, drugs are bad. You see, I was at the bottom of the barrel, I was a wreck. Why, I didn't even care about money. I was wasting my life... You boys need to listen up, m'kay, what I'm talking about might save your life some day... Drugs are bad. You shouldn't do drugs. If you do them, you're bad, because drugs are bad. It's a bad thing to do drugs, so don't be bad by doing drugs, m'kay, that'd be bad.

And we're not talking about cigars:

An agent for baseball players illegally smuggled Cuban players into the United States, eventually shipping them to California in hopes that they would be signed by major league teams, federal immigration officials said Tuesday.

...

Prosecutors say Rodrigues and Dominguez traveled by boat to Cuba on July 28, 2004, and loaded 22 Cubans aboard, but were intercepted by U.S. authorities at sea. Less than a month later, on Aug. 22, 2004, authorities say the two men successfully brought 19 Cubans into the country.

According to the indictment, the defendants transported the athletes to Los Angeles by van, rented an apartment for them, provided them with food and clothing and began training them. It could not be immediately determined if any of the Cubans have been signed by major league teams.

It seems to me we should be encouraging people who want to escape from Cuba, especially if they can play at the major league level.

Juan Uribe tells EPSNDeportes his side of the shooting story:

"I'm completely innocent," Uribe told ESPNdeportes.com. "They're trying to extort me because they know I play in the major leagues. They sent word to me that if I give them 1,000,000 pesos [about 33,000 U.S. dollars], all of this will go away."

...

"I was at home talking to my father when all of this happened," Uribe said. "There are a ton of witnesses that can corroborate what I'm saying. No one saw me in the place where the shooting happened.

"Just like me, [Gonzalez] grew up here and has lived all his life in Juan Baron," Uribe added. "He was banging on a public telephone next to my car and I told him to stop. Things went no further than that. Afterwards, I was at home, which is very close to the park where the incident happened, and I heard shots. My brother and friend came over and told me that they had argued with [Gonzalez] and [Alessandro]."

Juan Uribe was questioned and released by authorities today, but is still a suspect in the shooting of two people:

As Uribe was leaving, he pushed away a Univision camera and shoved an ESPN cameraman in the face. He did not speak to reporters.

The men are suspected of shooting and wounding a Dominican farmer and a captain in the Italian Navy with a pistol and a shotgun when the pair walked too close to Uribe's jeep around midnight Friday, police said.

An arrest warrant issued Monday for Uribe was voided, but he had to turn over his gun to police and appear back at the courthouse later this week, Lugo said. Uribe was scheduled to report to his Dominican winter league team, the Escogido Lions, on Tuesday.

That's a good way to get the press on your side.

CBSSportsline picked up the Juan Uribe story:

According to a police report, Uribe, 27, and his brother, Elpidio, thought that the victims walked too close to their Jeep. Dondolin Alessandro, 41, a captain in the Italian Navy, suffered wounds to his stomach and hands. Antonio Gonzalez Perez, a farmer who tried to intervene, suffered a left-elbow injury but was treated and released.

Alessandro was in the Dominican on a humanitarian mission, El Nacional reported.

I guess in some places a man's jeep is his castle.

Greg Anderson gets out of jail on a technicallity:

A federal judge ordered Barry Bonds' personal trainer released from prison Thursday, saying a legal "snafu" had arisen.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup said Greg Anderson must be freed, because a federal appeals court hadn't affirmed his contempt order within the required 30 days.
Anderson, 40, could be returned to prison when the appeals court affirms the Aug. 28 contempt citation. Anderson was cited after refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating whether Bonds committed perjury when he said he never knowingly used steroids.

They can't keep transcripts from leaking, and they can't keep witnesses in jail. Your tax dollars at work.

Meanwhile, Bett Myers' wife drops the charges against the Philadelphia pitcher:

An abuse charge against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was dismissed Thursday after his wife said she did not want her husband prosecuted for hitting her in the face during an argument near Fenway Park.

Boston Municipal Judge Raymond Dougan accepted as fact that Myers struck his wife on June 23, yet dismissed the charge - despite the objection of prosecutors - after Kim Myers agreed to an "accord of satisfaction" showing she did not want the charge pursued.

"There's no violence in our family. That night in Boston we had both been drinking," Kim Myers told the judge. "I was not hurt. I was not injured."

I hope she's making the right decision.

Dmitri Young gets a year probation for his domestic violence charge.

"I'm sorry that the incident happened," Young told 48th District Court Judge Diane D'Agostini. He then turned to Schumaker and said, "Michelle, I'd like to apologize for what happened and I wish you the best of luck."

D'Agostini denied Young's request to complete his probation in his home state of California or to travel to Florida to visit his family.

Jeff Reardon was found not guilty of robbing a jewelry store:

Former All-Star relief pitcher Jeff Reardon was found not guilty by reason of insanity Monday for robbing a jewelry store in December.

Two court-appointed psychiatrists, along with two defense psychiatrists, testified that Reardon was under the influence of a dozen prescription medications and that there was no reasonable explanation for the robbery.

Reardon's been going through a tough time. At least this was a good outcome.

Albert Belle received three months jail time and five years probation for stalking his ex-girlfriend.

Superior Court Judge James Keppel warned Belle that if he contacts the victim again he will go to prison.

I wonder if TradeSports puts out a contract on Belle contacting the girlfriend again. I bet the odds would be pretty high that Albert breaks his probation and contacts the woman.

A couple of ex-ballplayers got caught ripping off electricity.

Albert Belle pleaded guilty today to stalking his former girlfriend:

Former major league slugger Albert Belle pleaded guilty to one count of stalking his ex-girlfriend, authorities said Wednesday. Belle, who remains jailed, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 24 in Maricopa County Superior Court -- the day before his 40th birthday.

Prosecutors said Belle faces at least a 90-day jail sentence plus supervised probation and must avoid all contact with the victim.

Brian Shackelford joins Brett Myers in the "arrested for assaulting a woman" category:

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brian Shackelford was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of third-degree sexual assault.

The 29-year-old player was arrested shortly after midnight at Miller Park, where the Reds played the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said. She declined to provide details on the arrest other than to say it involved a woman Monday.

"It's an ongoing criminal investigation," she said.

Sgt. Michael Damian said Shackelford was still jailed Thursday morning.

The Reds moved on to Atlanta, so it's not clear who is going to bail out Brian. If the Reds learned anything from the Myers incident, it's don't let this person pitch anytime soon.

Update: Looking at Shackleford's stats, the Reds wouldn't want him pitching anytime soon anyway.

Alleged domestic violence landed Brett Myers in jail last night:

Myers, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday against the Red Sox, pleaded not guilty to assault charges at his arraignment Friday in Boston Municipal Court, said David Procopio, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. Myers' next court date is Aug. 4.

Myers was arguing with his wife shortly after midnight at the corner of Boylston and Dalton streets, Procopio said. The woman and two witnesses told police the 25-year-old pitcher hit her. One witness told investigators Myers also pulled her hair.

"The evidence at this point leads us to believe the victim was struck in the left side of her face," Procopio said. He added that investigators are trying to determine if Myers hit her with a fist or open hand and whether he hit her more than once.

Myers' wife bailed him out, so it's not clear how upset she is with her husband. However:

As part of his bail conditions, Myers must not initiate contact with his wife and can see her only if she wants to see him. The judge also ruled that if Myers is arrested again while out on bail he can be jailed for up to two months.

It seems like really bad year for ballplayers running into trouble, either with the law or with organizations. We've had three DUI's recently, including Dmitri Young skipping his court date, disciplinary problems in the Tampa Bay minor leagues, and of course Jason Grimsley. Or is this like injuries, where we always think there are a lot more than in the past until we actually count?

Scott Saurbeck ran into trouble with the police for allowing a drunk woman to drive his car. He was not charged for allowing seven walks in in 10 2/3 innings.

Albert Belle is going to jail for violating terms of his previous bail. He's been calling the ex-girlfriend he was ordered not to contact:

Last month, the former girlfriend called police and said she was receiving hangup phone calls, Clark said. Detectives began an investigation and checked phone records, which showed the calls were coming from Belle. Last week, Belle called and spoke with the woman.

"The nature of the conversation was harassing but not threatening," Clark said.

That was enough probable cause to arrest Belle for felony stalking and violating the previous court order, he said. Clark said because Belle is accused of committing another felony while out on bond, he is ineligible for bail in the new case.

I still think My Name is Joey would be an excellent reality show.

Jim Bowden was arrested for drunk driving in Flordia:

"I intend to plead not guilty at a future date in a Miami-Dade court. I deeply regret any embarrassment that my arrest may cause the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball," Bowden said in the statement.

"On the advice of legal counsel, I will have no further comment regarding this incident until the court proceedings are complete," he said.

Meanwhile, Stan Conte, the Giants trainer, recevied a subpeona.

Stan Conte, who is not related to Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative owner Victor Conte, was subpoenaed to appear in a San Francisco federal courtroom April 27, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the investigation.

The panel has been hearing testimony for more than a month about whether the outfielder lied to a separate grand jury in December 2003 about his connection to BALCO.

The sad story of Dwight Gooden continues as he's sentenced to one year in jail for violating his probation.

He chose the prison sentence over reinstatement of his probation, which would have meant the prospect of five years behind bars if he violated it again.

It seems Gooden knows how difficult it is to stay clean, and he's taking a shorter punishment now rather than a longer one later.

Regarding his choice of prison over reinstatement of probation, Hobson said Gooden "made a decision that he in his mind thought was best for him."

"This is not a case of a pampered athlete," Hobson said. "He took it like a man. He took it like any citizen in this situation. He didn't whimper, he didn't cry, he didn't beg. He took it like a man."

Batgirl links to the story about Francisco Liriano's drunken driving arrest. At least Liriano is admitting his mistake and not trying to blame others. The Twins management is also saying all the right things.

Baseball Musings is conducting a pledge drive in March. Click here for details.

Bob Sikes reflects on Doc Gooden's latest arrest.

Baseball Musings is conducting a pledge drive in March. Click here for details.

Following up on this morning's post, it looks like Albert Belle is in a heap of trouble:

The police probable cause statement said that Belle's former girlfriend discovered a Global Positioning System tracking device that had fallen off her car on Jan. 26. Believing that Belle was responsible, she called police, who began an investigation.

The unidentified woman told investigators that for several months Belle "had been showing up everywhere she went [the store, on dates, the gym, etc.]," the probable cause document stated. The woman asked Belle if he had placed the tracking device on her car, and he initially denied it.

But on Feb. 3, he left her a message apologizing for "doing all that tracking stuff," the statement said. A later recording had Belle threatening the woman, telling her she needed to hire a bodyguard for protection and that she "would never know what hit her," the statement said.

What is it with baseball players leaving incriminating evidence on answering machines? For all Albert's faults, I always heard he was intelligent. I guess it doesn't extend to threatening people on tape.

Todd Williams was cleared of DUI charges today:

Tests showed he had legal prescription drugs in his system, and his lawyer showed he likely failed the field sobriety test because he had injured an ankle in the crash, said Pam Bondi, spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office in Tampa.

"Like we said from the beginning, this was just a traffic accident," said Williams' agent, Tom O'Connell. "The DUI charges were unfounded, and that was proven today."

The second of four men alleged to be involved in the murder of Dernell Stenson reached a plea with prosecutors:

Reginald Riddle dodged a possible death sentence by accepting the plea agreement to first-degree murder. Under Arizona law, he must be sentenced to life in prison, but it will be up to Judge Robert Gottsfield to decide whether Riddle, 21, will be eligible for parole after 25 years.

He's expected to testify against his accomplice.

The alledged murderers of Dernell Stenson are set to go on trial. It looks like one of them will cop a plea to avoid the death penalty.

Court records suggest that a psychological exam of suspect Reginald Riddle caused a panel of prosecutors to reconsider seeking the death penalty.

The trial for Riddle, 21, is set to begin Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court in the death of Dernell Stenson, a Cincinnati Reds prospect.

Stenson, 25, was found slain on Nov. 5, 2003, on a street in suburban Chandler.

David Griffith, a 22-year-old co-defendant, is set to go to trial on March 6.

Riddle's defense attorney, Steve Koestner, said the state and defense have been meeting to resolve the case with a plea agreement.

Former closer Jeff Reardon is closed in right now after being arrested for robbing a jewelry store:

A four-time all-star who earned more than $2 million a season at the height of his 16-year career, Reardon walked into a jewelry store on Monday and "handed an employee a note stating that they were being robbed and that he had a gun," Palm Beach Gardens Police said in a news release.

Reardon was arrested at a nearby restaurant and the stolen money was recovered, police said.

Since Johnny Damon signed with the Yankees, I've had a number of discussions with family and friends about the money earned by ballplayers. At some point, the question is asked, "When they're earning that much money, what difference does a few million dollars make?"

Any ballplayer who lasts long enough to become arbitration eligable should be set for life. What we tend to forget, however, is that large earnings tend to lead to large spending habits. Bobby Grich, who made good money in his era, retired broke. Ron Guidry went bankrupt while he was still pitching. Jack Clark made bad investments. It's amazing how many of these stars never plan for their future,