Our May 3 blog post reported the recent drunk driving arrest of Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe in Buckhead. At the time of his DUI charge, Lowe was the fifth major league player to be arrested for DUI this year, a fact that has overtly disturbed officials of a business that is becoming increasingly concerned with its public image.
That concern undoubtedly intensified even further last week in the wake of yet another player's DUI arrest, with Cleveland outfielder Shin-Soo Choo becoming the sixth pro player to face media scrutiny in 2011 for an alcohol-related infraction.
Responding to the proliferation of arrests, Major League Baseball ("MLB") executive vice president Rob Manfred states the obvious. "We are always concerned when any of our players have interaction with criminal authorities," Manfred told reporters recently.
Manfred's comment seems quite likely to be followed up with an official league alcohol policy, something that has never existed before. League executives and players association representatives state that they are currently negotiating the details as part of a new collective bargaining agreement. At a minimum, it is expected that any player convicted of DUI -- even a first offense -- will be required to enroll in a counseling program.
To this point, teams across the league have varied policies and clubhouse customs concerning alcohol availability and use. Most teams ban alcohol entirely from locker rooms.
Alan Trammell, a Detroit Tigers coach and long-tenured player from the 1970s and 1980s, notes the change in attitude and the heightened public scrutiny toward alcohol use that have been gaining strong traction in recent years.
"It's not like guys suddenly are drinking more," says Trammell. "It's just that things are more documented, more scrutinized."
Related Resource: USA Today, "MLB, players union talk about creating alcohol policy" May 4, 2011
