Should the MLB Impose Stricter Penalties on Players Charged With DUI?

by Anthony Caruso

During Spring Training this year, several Major League Baseball players were arrested for driving under the influence. The incidents have renewed the debate over whether players should be punished more severely by the league for off-the-field misconduct like drunk driving. While we agree with the sentiment, as sports law attorneys, we know that it is easier said than done.

Critics of the league’s current stance on DUIs only have to look back to this Spring Training for evidence of the problem. Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Matthew Brian Bush was arrested after he struck a motorcyclist and left the scene. Boston Red Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks was also arrested after hitting two vehicles in the parking lot of a nightclub in Fort Myers. These are only the most recent DUI accidents involving professional baseball players. Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera was one of six players arrested last year during Spring Training. He reportedly drank from a bottle of liquor in front of a deputy and refused to cooperate. He later pleaded no contest to DUI.