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Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain issued an apology last night for his DUI arrest over the weekend, where he was found with a blood alcohol level of 0.134--well over the 0.08 limit in Nebraska. In his statement to the Yankees and the fans, he said, “I want to apologize to the New York Yankees and the fans for an error in judgment and for putting myself in a difficult situation. I intend to properly resolve this situation, and do not intend to be in such a situation again. My goal is to focus on pitching for the Yankees in the 2009 season.”
While Joba’s apology speaks for itself, Hank Steinbrenner got in on the action vowing to get Chamberlain help if he needed it and saying that, “It happens. Everybody deserves a second chance - or even a third chance." The Yankees have given multiple chances to far worse problems than Joba’s from Billy Martin to Steve Howe and there is no reason to expect Joba not to get the full support of the organization. But, driving around in a car with an open container shows a recklessness that needs to be examined and the Yankees need to make sure this isn’t a sign of a deeper problem.
Chamberlain's arrest is especially unfortunate given his role model status in his home town of Lincoln, Nebraska. Earlier this year, The Times talked to an elementary school principal in Lincoln who said, "For Lincoln to have someone like Joba, it’s the ultimate dream of little kids here" and that "teachers use Joba a lot as an example of work ethic and following your dream."
Now that the role model status is gone, the biggest responsibility lies with Joba. Youthful mistakes can be forgotten, but only if they are not repeated. Let’s all hope this is the last time we hear about Joba outside of the sports section (aside from when he's arraigned in December).
Photo of Joba Chamberlain after serving up a 3-run home run in May by AP/Julie Jacobson
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Any Joba the Lush jokes yet?
Sure, he deserves another chance to pitch, but not to drive. Driving drunk needs to be taken more seriously, and the consequences should much harsher penalties.
Athletes, regardless of their chronological age, are emotionally adolescents. After having been coddled, praised, and protected by family, friends, fans, coaches and agents, there is no room for the development of maturity, judgment and insight.
Accordingly, a disproportionate number of athletes become a) drunk drivers, b) drug users, c) involved in fights in bars, d) involved in sexual relationships with borderline or psychotic individuals and e) squander away their fortune, often through gambling.
When a professional athlete signs his first contract, his agent should attach a device that essentially places him under house arrest, perhaps a GPS, to prevent him from going to bars, strip joints or a strange woman's hotel room.
Sure, Joba deserves a second chance. But, he must also realize he is alive but for the grace of whatever and, more importantly, he is lucky not to have killed anyone else. He should enter an alcohol program (AA or whatever) and stay away from alcohol for the rest of his life. One violation of the new Joba rules, and he's playing in Japan, just like that other Yankee phenom who hit seven home runs in September and liked fast cars and generous quantities of booze.
Whoever let him put out a statement saying he apologized for the situation he put HIMSELF in, and not apologizing for endangering the lives of others by his actions, is a freakin' idiot. Bad PR move.
famdoc, I really must object to your reference to Madonna in item (d).
Given the size of Joba he must have had more than a six pack of Coor's Lite before he decided to get behind the wheel.
There is an opportunity here for someone -- Joba, the Yankees, or some outside group -- to take something good away from a completely bad situation. Joba can redeem himself somewhat if he truly and genuinely makes up for his mistake by getting out and talking to young people about the dangers of drinking and driving. I hope he will.
Furthermore, given Joba's background, I think this incident should remind everyone that alcohol use among Native Americans from low-income backgrounds is a huge problem. Historical and social and economic conditions created it; now what we can do to solve it? Joba's a baseball player, making good money, spending most of the year in New York -- but back in Nebraska, where he came from, there are a lot of young men who probably have a lot of interests and values in common with Joba, and who have his potential to succeed, but who may also be troubled by alcoholism, binge drinking, arrests for driving while drunk, or alcohol-related family and work problems. And they're not going to make it to the big leagues.
I'm proud of him
He seemed a bit too sugary for my taste
of course now Joba needs to schedule a talk with Charles Barkley
Rich athletes who drink and drink are particularly stupid, seeing as how they can afford to get a driver, if they plan on going out and drinking.
Maybe he's perfecting his new pitch, the drunken slider. He needs more than a 100 mph fastball to be a starter.
He's also from Nebraska.
Sucky situation but not surprising.
Even with endorsements, Joba isn't rich.
Rookie players must put in a few years before free agency big money comes in.