White Sox’s Tony La Russa Will Serve One-Day Sentence After ‘Serious Mistake’

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will have to serve only one day of house arrest after a DUI charge was formally reduced to reckless driving, his lawyer said Monday.

“I know I don’t have a drinking problem, just like I know I made a serious mistake in February,” La Russa told reporters in a conference call. “And where I am right now is to prove that I don’t have a drinking problem and to prove it every day off the field that I’m going to handle it and what’s painfully clear to me is if I have a drink, I will not drive. There’s always an alternative.”

La Russa will be required to complete 20 hours of community service, pay a $1,383 fine and serve a one-day sentence from home.

“Mr. La Russa knows he made a mistake last February and deeply regrets it,” La Russa’s lwayer, Larry Kazan, said in a statement obtained by The Athletic. “He is embarrassed and concerned. He knows what he did was wrong.”

La Russa was pulled over Feb. 24 and charged with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He reportedly tried to use his status as a famous baseball man to get out of trouble. Obviously, it didn’t go well for La Russa.

He was hired as White Sox manager in October. On Monday, the team said it was “standing by him.”

The White Sox also indicated they understand the decision to keep La Russa has raised a few eyebrows.

“The White Sox understand the anger and concern expressed by some about hiring Tony under these circumstances,” the team said in a statement. “Tony has expressed to us his remorse, and he understands he brought this on himself.

“Tony is fortunate his decisions that night did not injure himself or anyone else. We also believe people deserve the opportunity, at all points in their lives, to improve. Tony knows there is no safety net below him. There cannot be a third strike.”