A's Mortensen charged with DUI
Posted By Lloyd Golburgh on Oct 5, 2009 8:42am PDT
A's rookie starter Clayton Mortensen expressed contrition Sunday
afternoon after being arrested early Sunday morning in Los Gatos for
suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
"First off, I want to apologize to the A's and my family," said
Mortensen, who spent the night in Santa Clara County jail. "Calling my
dad this morning was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'm deeply
embarrassed for what I've done and my poor judgment. I can honestly say
it will never happen again. I'm very ashamed and embarrassed. ... I'm
really sorry for everything I caused."
Mortensen was arrested at about 3 a.m. by a Santa Clara County
Sheriff's Department deputy who was checking a car stopped on the side
of Highway 17 southbound in Los Gatos, according to Sgt. Rick Sung, a
spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.
The A's put out a release during Sunday's game against the Angels
stating that the team was aware of the situation but will have no
comment until further details are available. Mortensen, 24, was
acquired from St. Louis in the Matt Holliday trade in July, and he went
2-4 with a 7.81 ERA in six starts.
After starter Esteban Loaiza's 2006 arrest for drunk driving, the
A's stopped providing alcohol in both clubhouses at the Coliseum and on
the team plane, citing liability issues and concern for players'
welfare.
In April, Angels starter Nick Adenhart was killed by an alleged
drunk driver after pitching against the A's. Mortensen's former club,
the Cardinals, lost reliever Josh Hancock in 2007 when he was killed
while driving under the influence.
Story by Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle