5 players who were arrested during their MLB careers
The bright lights of MLB stardom and celebrity life may appear as glamor and glitz on the surface, but the fact is, sports and Hollywood are filled with imperfect people just like you and me. In fact, they often have a lot more problems, leaving us to wonder who's really better off. Today's list makes us feel much better about the lives we lead as we lay out five players who donned those locking bracelets during their careers. The bright lights on our MLB list are all red and blue.
MLB players arrested during their careers
Gary Sheffield
The former Florida Marlins and Yankees superstar made headlines with his bat and glove multiple times over the course of his career. But in 1993, he made headlines for a very different reason. After getting into a parking lot altercation with a police officer — whom he injured — Sheffield was arrested and detained. What's even more surprising is that he was released only 13 hours after the incident, just in time to make it to his game against San Diego. Gotta love that celebrity special treatment.
Darryl Strawberry
The tale of Darryl Strawberry is a tale of what could have been had he not mingled with the likes of Dwight Gooden in his rookie season. Dwight Gooden allegedly turned a Hall of Fame player into a drug addict. Strawberry's off-field run-ins with law enforcement were innumerable, ranging from drug possession and drug use to grand theft auto. These run-ins were much of the reason he rarely played a full season in the 90s, with most teams not willing to take a chance on the struggling drug abuser. What all-time MLB records he could've broken will remain a mystery. What's even sadder is the fact that his off-field problems overshadowed the fact that Strawberry overcame colon cancer twice.
Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton was one of the most fun players to watch of his generation. Unfortunately, his struggles with alcohol and drug use made his off-field drama equally eventful, if not more so. In his most infamous incident, in a drunken stupor, an angry Hamilton wrecked his vehicle in 2005, and it resulted in an arrest. His battles with substance abuse were ongoing throughout his career, forcing him to end his MLB career prematurely. Unfortunately, like many on this list, Hamilton's substance abuse struggles limited his playing career, and he never fully got a grasp on his personal demons.
Lenny Dykstra
There's no sympathy for Lenny Dykstra on our list whatsoever, as he consistently displayed an utter disregard for others. The same self-absorbed persona he exhibited on the field is the same one he portrayed off the field. In 1991, the former MLB slugger was arrested for DUI in a drunk driving accident that injured a teammate. His string of arrests continued well after his career concluded.
Lenny Dykstra Arrest Video Released: I'm A Felon, I Can't Have A Gun! dlvr.it/QX3jNc
"Lenny Dykstra Arrest Video Released: I'm A Felon, I Can't Have A Gun!" - @TMZ
His most recent arrests include bankruptcy fraud, grand theft auto, and threatening a man's life. To anybody informed on MLB matters, he certainly makes the most hated and the most feuded player. But hey, at least he's consistent.
Milton Bradley
No, we're not talking about the lovable mustached guy on the front of the "Monopoly" game. The Milton Bradley we're talking about is the exact opposite. Milton Bradley's temper was the scariest, most uncontrollable monster in not just MLB history, but sports history in general. Bradley displayed rage at a level nobody could match.
: @MLBWhen you're looking up Chone Figgins steals and find one where he makes a critical steal but it gets overshadowed by Milton Bradley getting ejected for arguing the strike zone.
So much to digest there.
📼: @MLB https://t.co/wh8fPhHAzA
"Milton Bradley getting ejected for arguing the strike zone. So much to digest here" - @ Seth Poho
The anger of arguing the strike zone wouldn't have been as big a deal if it hadn't happened so frequently. To be frank, this video may even be a milder display of his temper. It was certain to reveal itself in every game of the MLB season in some form. It's no surprise that it eventually manifested itself off the field in a 2013 domestic dispute with his girlfriend. It wasn't the first time she'd cried for help to law enforcement. It was the first time he was actually placed in handcuffs, however. On that fateful day, Bradley was arrested for battery, assault, and seven other counts.