Matt Bush was released from prison on Friday after being incarcerated in 2012 for DUI with serious bodily harm, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.
Former @MLB No. 1 pick and #Rays RHP Matt Bush was released from prison Friday, incarcerated since spring 2012 for DUI/serious bodily harm
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) October 31, 2015
The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2004 MLB Draft has a history of getting himself into bad trouble while drinking. His first arrest came just two weeks after he was drafted because of an incident at a bar, and he was put away for three years after he struck a man while drunk, then drove away.
In an interview with Gabe Capler of Foxsports.com, Smith gave his account of the incident:
“I planned to have one beer,” he said. “But when I get there, I see that they don’t sell liquor at the gas station. They had Four Lokos, a really big, strong, alcoholic energy drink. So, OK, I can just have one of these. That will be sufficient. So being in the car … you know … I’d hurry up and get rid of the evidence. Drink the beer, throw it away and move on.”
Bush’s destination was 45 minutes away. Already buzzed, he stopped again, and again, and again for drinks.
“I realized that I had almost no idea where I was, you know?” he recalls.
When he was pulled over, Bush blew a .18, which is more than double the legal limit. He had stolen his roommate’s vehicle, got trashed, went into a strip club, where he climbed up on stage and was kicked out of the club, and then hit a man, who would have likely been killed if not for his motorcycle helmet.
Now 29, there is still time for Bush to make better choices and do something with his life.
Because of his own personal demons and injuries, he never realized his potential as a professional baseball player but showed much promise as both a pitcher and a shortstop. Perhaps his time away from the world gave him a new perspective, and a new hope for the future.
That future won’t likely see Bush as a pro baseball player, though. According to Capler, who spoke with one MLB general manager, despite the undeniable talent Bush has, teams will likely not be inclined to give him another chance.
This means Bush might have to reinvent himself in more ways than one as he reintegrates himself into society. We wish him well in this endeavor.