Jim Leyritz arrested

[Post Count Padder]

Former major leaguer Jim Leyritz was arrested in Florida on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular homicide, WPLG-TV in Miami reported Friday.

 

Leyritz refused a Breathalyzer test, police said, after an accident that left the passenger in another car dead. The 44-year-old former Yankee has been out of the majors since 2000, though he briefly entertained the idea of a comeback a year ago.

Source: ESPN.com

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

Can't say that I really know Jim Leyritz. Like many, I witnessed his heroics with the Yankees...I probably have heard him a few times as an announcer and he seems like a pretty good guy. When I was in College (late 70's/ early 80's), I got stopped for DUI ---thanks be to God, I didn't kill anybody...(Never again!) so, I can really sympasize with the guy. Man, your just out having fun-- and then someone ends up dying because of your carelessness. Sad. Very sad. I would imagine that Yankee fans everywhere are feeling pretty rotten right now.

[jersey cubs fan]

Can't say that I really know Jim Leyritz. Like many, I witnessed his heroics with the Yankees...I probably have heard him a few times as an announcer and he seems like a pretty good guy. When I was in College (late 70's/ early 80's), I got stopped for DUI ---thanks be to God, I didn't kill anybody...(Never again!) so, I can really sympasize with the guy. Man, your just out having fun-- and then someone ends up dying because of your carelessness. Sad. Very sad. I would imagine that Yankee fans everywhere are feeling pretty rotten right now.

 

The guy is 44 years old, not some dumb kid who made a mistake.

 

 

I don't see how anybody could see anything about Leyritz that would suggest he seems like a pretty good guy.

[abuck1220]

Can't say that I really know Jim Leyritz. Like many, I witnessed his heroics with the Yankees...I probably have heard him a few times as an announcer and he seems like a pretty good guy. When I was in College (late 70's/ early 80's), I got stopped for DUI ---thanks be to God, I didn't kill anybody...(Never again!) so, I can really sympasize with the guy. Man, your just out having fun-- and then someone ends up dying because of your carelessness. Sad. Very sad. I would imagine that Yankee fans everywhere are feeling pretty rotten right now.

 

i actually have a little more sympathy for the person he killed. though the saddened yankee fans are also in my prayers.

 

oh, and i also feel terrible for leyritz, who was just out having fun and someone had to die and ruin it all. buzzkill, right?

Edited December 28, 2007 by abuck1220

[SouthSideRyan]

My friend and I recently talked about how somebody we graduated from high school with will wind up killing somebody via driving drunk. It was a very sad realization, about a group of people who should be doing so much more with their lives.

[Abe Frohman]

One of my best friends, a Texas Rangers farmhand with a 99 mph fastball, died at the age of 19 because he made the incredibly stupid decision to drive drunk. We've all been there where we have the delimma of getting a cab, catching a ride with someone, or just driving and taking our chances.

 

Every time (and it is not often) I am in that situation, I just think of Kevin. He WAS a great guy, and he had a bright future in baseball.

 

ONE bad decision, and he is gone. Forever.

[Bruno7481]

He won't get much sympathy from me. I am a teacher and last year a student was involved in an accident, she had been drinking. The accident resulted in a fatality. Here is where it gets really sad, the person she hit was actually a fellow student at our school. Of course, the student who had been drinking walked away without a scratch.

 

That was rough....

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

jersey cubs fan wrote: "The guy is 44 years old, not some dumb kid who made a mistake.

I don't see how anybody could see anything about Leyritz that would suggest he seems like a pretty good guy".

 

And abuck added: "i actually have a little more sympathy for the person he killed. though the saddened yankee fans are also in my prayers. oh, and i also feel terrible for leyritz, who was just out having fun and someone had to die and ruin it all. buzzkill, right?

 

 

 

---- Man y'all are ruthless. I was just reacting to the story. I was shocked when I heard what had happened...maybe I didn't take the necessary time to think of all of the ramifications before submitting my post. So what, give me a break. I feel like I was just attacked. First and foremost I feel sorry for the person that was killed and for the surviving family of the deceased but you also have to feel somewhat sorry for Leyritz, this is something he has to live with the rest of his life. Yeah it was stupid, he aint no kid after all but it was ALSO accidental. I assume that Leyritz is married and also has a family--- so you gotta have sympathy for them. It's just an all around bad situation. Everywhere you look, lives ruined forever.

[XZero771679666304]

jersey cubs fan wrote: "The guy is 44 years old, not some dumb kid who made a mistake.

I don't see how anybody could see anything about Leyritz that would suggest he seems like a pretty good guy".

 

And abuck added: "i actually have a little more sympathy for the person he killed. though the saddened yankee fans are also in my prayers. oh, and i also feel terrible for leyritz, who was just out having fun and someone had to die and ruin it all. buzzkill, right?

 

 

 

---- Man y'all are ruthless. I was just reacting to the story. I was shocked when I heard what had happened...maybe I didn't take the necessary time to think of all of the ramifications before submitting my post. So what, give me a break. I feel like I was just attacked. First and foremost I feel sorry for the person that was killed and for the surviving family of the deceased but you also have to feel somewhat sorry for Leyritz, this is something he has to live with the rest of his life. Yeah it was stupid, he aint no kid after all but it was ALSO accidental. I assume that Leyritz is married and also has a family--- so you gotta have sympathy for them. It's just an all around bad situation. Everywhere you look, lives ruined forever.

 

 

 

 

It sure wasn't accidental when Jim was boozing himself up. I don't have one iota of sympathy for anyone who drinks and drives, not one. They don't deserve it. If you voluntarily impair yourself and then drive, you are 100% culpable.

 

If you drink and get behind the wheel, you deserve whatever bad happens to you. It's the people you hurt and/or kill that deserve 100% of the sympathy.

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

XZero77 wrote: "It sure wasn't accidental when Jim was boozing himself up. I don't have one iota of sympathy for anyone who drinks and drives, not one. They don't deserve it. If you voluntarily impair yourself and then drive, you are 100% culpable.

 

If you drink and get behind the wheel, you deserve whatever bad happens to you. It's the people you hurt and/or kill that deserve 100% of the sympathy".

 

---- Zero, it's "accidental" in that Leyritz didn't intentionally plan on killing this person. Yes, it was a stupid decision on his part, in getting behind the wheel when he was drunk (not when he was "boozing it up") and driving home. Unfortunately for the woman that was killed, Leyritz's decision turned out to be disastrous for everyone involved.

[Flames24Rulz]

I'm sorry, I don't have respect for any idiot that drives drunk. Please spare me the details of how "great" of a person he is when he just killed another human being because of his stupidity.

[OleMissCub]

who was just out having fun and someone had to die and ruin it all. buzzkill, right?

 

This is sarcasm, right?

[imb]

who was just out having fun and someone had to die and ruin it all. buzzkill, right?

 

This is sarcasm, right?

 

You're joking, right?

[Rob]

I find it somewhat disturbing that so few people cannot empathize with Leyritz. Not a single one of us here can honestly say they've never made a mistake. This certainly wasn't something Leyritz had planned. This was a mistake on Leyritz part, and I wont disagree that it is a horrible one, but it's still something unintentional that will have devastating implications for Leyritz, his family, and his friends for a very long time.

 

Leave it to the Republican to show some empathy... goodness.

[XZero771679666304]

I find it somewhat disturbing that so few people cannot empathize with Leyritz. Not a single one of us here can honestly say they've never made a mistake. This certainly wasn't something Leyritz had planned. This was a mistake on Leyritz part, and I wont disagree that it is a horrible one, but it's still something unintentional that will have devastating implications for Leyritz, his family, and his friends for a very long time.

 

Leave it to the Republican to show some empathy... goodness.

 

Yeah, except to insinuate that Leyritz had never driven drunk before stretches credulity.

 

More often than not, these things don't happen the first time someone gets behind the wheel drunk. And at Leyritz's age, I really, really, doubt it. Maybe if the guy was 20 years old, but at 44? Come on. At that age, there is zero excuse.

 

For a grown adult to get behind the wheel of a car drunk isn't a simple mistake, but an act of negligence and blatant disregard for the safety of others. Some people may think it is their God-given right to have a few and drive, and expect a mulligan the first time something bad happens. Well, it's not.

 

Just because a person doesn't expect to cause a fatal accident when they toss a few back and drive home (probably because they've been driving drunk/buzzed for years, and are complacent), doesn't mean they deserve one shred of sympathy if they do.

 

It's really the simplest thing: Don't drink and drive. Don't rationalize about your tolerance, don't try and tell yourself you drive all right buzzed, that you do it all the time and have never had an accident, etc., just don't do it. It's that simple.

[TruffleShuffle]

but you also have to feel somewhat sorry for Leyritz, this is something he has to live with the rest of his life.

 

yeah unfortunately the other person doesn't have this option

[rocket]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

[Mizzou]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

[rocket]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

 

you're a loser if you're talking on your cell phone and you hit someone and kill them, though.

[TruffleShuffle]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

 

you're a loser if you're talking on your cell phone and you hit someone and kill them, though.

 

you're also far, far less likely to kill someone because you're talking on your cell phone than you are because you're driving drunk.

[Mizzou]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

 

you're a loser if you're talking on your cell phone and you hit someone and kill them, though.

You are? I don't agree with that at all. I also find it ridiculous that you're trying to downplay what Leyritz did. The dope got drunk, got behind the wheel, and killed someone.

[rocket]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

 

you're a loser if you're talking on your cell phone and you hit someone and kill them, though.

 

you're also far, far less likely to kill someone because you're talking on your cell phone than you are because you're driving drunk.

 

June 29, 2006 -- Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.

 

"We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit” of 0.08 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. “If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.”

 

Psychology Professor David Strayer, the study's lead author, adds: “Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell phone and drive. The level of impairment is very similar.”

 

http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=062206-1

 

when you talk on a cell phone while driving, you're increasing the likelihood of injuring people around you. same as drunk driving. the degrees may be different, but it's still the same principle. you're being selfish and risking other people's lives when you pick up the cell phone while driving.

 

You are? I don't agree with that at all. I also find it ridiculous that you're trying to downplay what Leyritz did. The dope got drunk, got behind the wheel, and killed someone.

 

i'm not trying to downplay what leyritz did. he did something horrible and awful and should be punished accordingly. i'm just surprised how people feel zero empathy towards him, when they themselves have very likely put the lives of other motorists in danger for selfish reasons. i'm not exempt from this, i use my cell phone all the time while driving. it's a habit i need to break.

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

TruffleShuffle wrote: "you're also far, far less likely to kill someone because you're talking on your cell phone than you are because you're driving drunk".

 

---What? Truffle, I think maybe you're slamming down at few beers while you're posting your response to this particular forum. Remember, it's not good to "drink and post". The fact is, whether or not you're legally drunk, messing with the cigarette lighter, talking on the cell phone or whatever... you are distracted to different degrees and you're are not concentrating on driving. I'm sure if a study were done on comparing the two-- the results would be the same. Heck just the other day, I was turning on the radio and I ended up going over the center line. Now there was a car coming from the opposite direction, probably 500 feet away. What if I had decided to find a radio station and thye same thing happened--just as the other car was going by me? And as far as showing Leyritz a "little" empathy, it's the Christian thing to do.

 

---Zero, I never said that Leyritz had not driven while drunk before. Heck, I don't even know the man. Chances are yes, he has probably tried it before and gotten away with it...the same thing could probably said for Tony La Russa (You watch, someone will now get on this board and accuse me of comparing La Russa' situation to Leyritz's).

 

...Man, I just wish Spring Training were here so we could all concentrate on the Cubs. I see that I'm not the only one whose bored.

[TruffleShuffle]

if jim leyritz was talking on his cell phone while driving and accidentally killed someone, would he get the same level of disgust?

Probably not. But he also wouldn't if he were changing the song on his Ipod, or grabbing something out of his glove box, or checking out the girl in the car next to him, etc, etc. Everyone does something that distracts them from the road every single time they drive somewhere. Not everyone is a loser that gets drunk and kills someone though.

 

you're a loser if you're talking on your cell phone and you hit someone and kill them, though.

 

you're also far, far less likely to kill someone because you're talking on your cell phone than you are because you're driving drunk.

 

June 29, 2006 -- Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.

 

"We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit” of 0.08 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. “If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.”

 

Psychology Professor David Strayer, the study's lead author, adds: “Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell phone and drive. The level of impairment is very similar.”

 

http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=062206-1

 

when you talk on a cell phone while driving, you're increasing the likelihood of injuring people around you. same as drunk driving. the degrees may be different, but it's still the same principle. you're being selfish and risking other people's lives when you pick up the cell phone while driving.

 

yeah that's nice, however the study compared the impairment of someone talking on the phone to the impairment of someone who was at a 0.08 - which can be done through as little as three beers. The vast majority of fatalities caused by drunk driving are by people who are considerably above a 0.08.

[rocket]

 

yeah that's nice, however the study compared the impairment of someone talking on the phone to the impairment of someone who was at a 0.08 - which can be done through as little as three beers. The vast majority of fatalities caused by drunk driving are by people who are considerably above a 0.08.

 

so if a person has a 0.08 and kills another driver, does he deserve empathy then?