Pirates president Frank Coonelly was arrested on December 22 in Ross for four counts related to drunken driving, Dejan Kovacevic of the Trib reports. It appears the most serious of these would be a charge of driving with a blood-alcohol of .16, more than twice the legal limit.
"My actions that evening were irresponsible and wrong," Coonelly said in a statement. He arrived this morning in Bradenton, Fla., to join the Pirates at their spring training complex.
"I take full and sole responsibility for them. There is no excuse for ever driving under the influence of alcohol."
Pirates owner Bob Nutting "expressed support for Coonelly," Kovacevic writes.
More: On Coonelly's DUI Charge
Coonelly will be arraigned March 20. The charges are drunken driving, driving with a blood-alcohol of at least .16, careless driving and driving the wrong way.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Many Pirates fans already dislike Coonelly, mostly for the same reasons they dislike all Pirates management personnel. A certain percentage of the Bucs fanbase is going to blast him mercilessly for this, and frankly, it will be hard to blame them. Driving drunk is a serious matter, and driving with a blood-alcohol of .16 or higher is serious indeed.
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