Yasiel Puig Arrested for Reckless Driving
Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig caught speeding for second time this year.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
2013 was a good year for rookie phenom Yasiel Puig. The Los Angeles Dodgers sure got themselves a bundle of talent…and some headaches.
Those headaches now revolve the fact that Puig has been nailed for speeding for yet a second time. The Naples Daily News reports that Puig was caught driving at a speed of 110 MPH on a stretch highway know as Alligator Alley. He was driving a 2013 Mercedes.
Nice ride, Yasiel.
Puig’s bond was a “self cash bond” and set at $500. The bond was paid, not necessarily by Puig himself even though it was a “self cash bond”, and Puig was released at about 1 PM today.
The first of Puig’s driving misadventures came this past April when he was a member of the Dodgers Double-A affiliate, the Chattanooga Lookouts. On that occasions, Puig was caught doing 97 MPH in a 50 MPH zone. He was charged with speeding, reckless driving and driving without proof of insurance. In that case, Puig had the charges dropped after performing 13 hours of community service with the Dodgers. The final resolution came at the beginning of November.
Now this. The club has made no comment and the Dodgers’ chief marketing officer informed the Naples Daily News that he was unaware of driving infraction.
Stacie Wheeler of Lasorda’s Lair added this:
Puig’s wildness and over-the-top persona is fun to watch on the baseball diamond, but his young attitude often worries me after incidents like this. After his first arrest, it seemed like the Cuban phenom learned his lesson. We even saw multiple stories about Puig being involved in charity work with children this offseason. We were hoping for a quiet offseason, his first full offseason as a full-fledged Major Leaguer.
Puig posted a brilliant 2013 and came in second for the NL Rookie of the Year behind another Cuban phenom, Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins.
(H/T: Lasorda’s Lair)
UPDATE: The Dodgers released a statement concerning Puig’s mishap.