Hours after he was released from a Southern California jail after being arrested on a DUI charge, newly signed Seattle Mariner Adam Kennedy made a series of phone calls Thursday.
Kennedy dialed up Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and apologized, then listened to what he described as a
stern lecture from Zduriencik. Then Kennedy called a few reporters who cover the Mariners and spilled his thoughts on what happened Wednesday night and his regret over it.
He didn’t dodge responsibility for an incident that he regrets but says is not part of his character.
“I want to express my regret, and my apologies cannot be expressed enough,” he said. “It’s not in character for me to do something like this. I feel really terrible about the negative attention I brought to Jack in Seattle. It’s not how I want to make a first impression.”
According to the California Highway Patrol, Kennedy was pulled over and arrested at 9:11 p.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was booked into the Orange County Jail and released about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
He’s the second Mariner to be arrested this month. On Jan. 19, outfielder/DH Milton Bradley was arrested and jailed in Los Angeles after allegedly making threats against a woman.
Kennedy said he’d had dinner with a couple of buddies before driving toward home.
“On the way home … I was stopped for speeding, which led to the arrest,” he said. “I failed a breath test.”
The Mariners signed the 35-year-old Kennedy to a minor league contract, expecting him to be a positive influence in the clubhouse, especially to the young players on the club.
Kennedy said it was his idea to call reporters and verbalize his regret.
“I thought it would be best to face the music,” he said. “This is step one, opening up to you guys and talking about it, letting you know that it’s not who I am and what I hope to bring.”
He said the incident delivered a brutal dose of reality.
“You know something is wrong and not until you have it stare you in the face do you realize your consequences. It’s been a long day. You’re sitting in a place you don’t belong and don’t want to be in.
“You’re trying to make an impression and make a team. You think about Jack (Zduriencik) and how he stuck his neck out and offered you a contract. This is how you repay him. You’re not looking forward to that phone call you’re going to have to make.”
Kennedy said Zduriencik was extremely stern when the two spoke.
“He told me this is not acceptable,” he said.
Zduriencik, who declined to comment Thursday afternoon immediately after learning of Kennedy’s arrest, didn’t return a phone call Thursday evening.
What this means for his future as a Mariner, Kennedy doesn’t know. He hopes to get past this, show up at spring training in Peoria, Ariz., next month and be the middle infielder and veteran presence the Mariners wanted when they signed him.
“That’s the plan as of now,” Kennedy said. “They have every right to do whatever they want. But that is the plan today and hopefully that stays the same.”
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog and follow his updates on Twitter at @kirbyarnold.
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