White Sox Manager Tony La Russa Pleads Guilty to Reckless Driving

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

White Sox manager Tony La Russa on Monday pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving, according to The Athletic's James Fegan.

Maricopa County Judge Ashley Fritz gave La Russa a one-day jail sentence for reckless driving and will allow him to serve it through home detention. During Monday's hearing, which La Russa attended via teleconference, he was ordered to pay a $1,383 fine and complete 20 hours of community service.

The reduced charge comes as part of a plea agreement that stemmed from his arrest in February. La Russa reached the agreement in mid-December after facing charges of driving under the influence.

Chicago's manager was arrested in February after he struck a curb and left his car "smoking on the side of a Phoenix-area road," according to ESPN. Tests taken the night of his arrest showed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.095—above the legal limit of 0.08.

In 2007, La Russa pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge in Jupiter, Fla.

"Mr. La Russa knows he made a mistake last February and deeply regrets it. He is embarrassed and concerned. He knows what he did was wrong," La Russa's attorney, Lawrence Kazan, said in a statement, via the Chicago Sun-Times.

"The charge was reduced because Mr. La Russa was found to be over the legal threshold by a small amount," Kazan wrote. "Nevertheless, Mr. La Russa understands that any amount over the limit is too much."

Kazan told the judge that La Russa had completed alcohol counseling at a treatment institute in Arizona.

The White Sox hired La Russa in October. He previously amassed a 522–510 record with Chicago from 1979 to '86 before a 10-year stint with the A's. La Russa is a three-time World Series champion, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.