LaRussa has one too many Zimas

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was busted for DUI last night by the Jupiter PD. But something about this story seems awfully fishy. From the AP:

Undercover officers saw La Russa’s SUV partly in an intersection around midnight and not moving despite two green lights, police said. Officers knocked on the vehicle’s window and La Russa did not initially respond.

The SUV was in drive and running, with La Russa’s foot on the brake, police said. When he eventually woke up, the officers asked him to get out of the car.

He was arrested and booked at the Palm Beach County jail on the misdemeanor, according to police and jail records. He was released about 8:30 a.m. after posting $500 cash bond, said Paul Miller, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Okay, first of all, LaRussa was barely over the legal limit. Here’s a list of the different blood alcohol levels and the behavior that is associated with them, courtesy of habitsmart.com:

02 MELLOW FEELING. SLIGHT BODY WARMTH. LESS INHIBITED.

05 NOTICEABLE RELAXATION. LESS ALERT. LESS SELF-FOCUSED. COORDINATION IMPAIRMENT BEGINS.

.08 DRUNK DRIVING LIMIT. DEFINITE IMPAIRMENT IN COORDINATION AND JUDGMENT.

.10 NOISY. POSSIBLE EMBARRASSING BEHAVIOR. MOOD SWINGS. REDUCTION IN REACTION TIME.

.15 IMPAIRED BALANCE AND MOVEMENT. CLEARLY DRUNK.

.30 MANY LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS

.40 MOST LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS; SOME DIE.

.50 BREATHING STOPS. MANY DIE.

LaRussa was passed out, behavior you’d expect from somebody with three times the booze he had in his system. According to his blood/alcohol level, he should have been somewhere between “impaired” and “embarrassing”.

Maybe LaRussa got too much sun Wednesday afternoon. Or maybe he’s been having trouble sleeping. But I think there’s more to this story than has been reported. You don’t pass out at the wheel after only a couple of drinks — unless you’re a total wuss. And Tony LaRussa is no wuss.