Right when they pulled him over, cops say Werth threw a lit cigarette out the window -- and when officers approached the ride, he reeked of smoke and booze and slurred when he talked.
Cops say Werth tried to the play the MLB card -- literally -- handing them an ID card which showed he was a pro ball player. Werth then said, “We do a lot of work with you guys.”
Werth also refused roadside sobriety tests -- which is probably the right move, actually; those are bad news -- but also refused to take a breathalyzer test which, while it used to be what a lawyer would tell you to do, is increasingly not the case for a host of reasons. But hey, his arrest, his choice.
Later, of course, the cops got a court order to draw blood and he tested out at a .12 BAC. Oops.
I’m still struck by the use of the ballplayer ID card. Maybe that impresses cops elsewhere, but Scottsdale cops are no stranger to partying ballplayers. I’d guess that, due to spring training and the year-round rehab/workouts they do down there, cops in the greater Phoenix area have the highest per capita record of arresting ballplayers across police forces everywhere.
But I suppose you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.