Perez Arrested on DUI Charge

Troubled pitcher Carlos Perez was arrested late Saturday night for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, creating more headaches for frustrated Dodger officials already burdened by his big contract and poor performance.

A Vero Beach police officer took Perez into custody after the struggling left-hander was observed sleeping behind the wheel of his maroon BMW at an intersection near Dodgertown at 11:03 p.m. EST, a one-paragraph police statement read.

Perez took a roadside physical-performance test but refused to undergo a Breathalyzer test, according to a police spokesman with knowledge of an incident report expected to be released today. Perez spent eight hours in county jail and was released on $500 bond.

The first-degree misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Perez’s license will be suspended for six months under Florida state law because he refused the sobriety test, the police spokesman said.

“In the [arresting] officer’s opinion, he [Perez] was impaired and over the legal limit [.08],” said Lt. Kevin Martin.

A hearing date hasn’t been scheduled and it’s unclear whether the matter will be adjudicated before the season begins.

The drunk-driving allegation is the latest in a series of problems for Perez during his disappointing Dodger tenure.

Perez is coming off a nightmarish season in which he was demoted to triple-A Albuquerque after going 2-10 with a 7.43 earned-run average. He suffered a mysterious knee injury that forced him from the rotation and failed to meet high expectations after General Manager Kevin Malone gave him a three-year, $15.6-million contract.

Perez has been pounded in two exhibition appearances.

He gave up four hits and four runs (three earned) in three innings Saturday in a 9-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Perez again struggled with his command, needing 73 pitches.

At this point, it appears Perez won’t make the opening-day roster unless Chairman Bob Daly mandates he must because he’s owed $5 million this season and $7.5 million in 2001.

For the most part, club officials spoke cautiously Sunday about Perez because of pending legal action. However, they were frustrated by the news.

And although Perez evaded commenting about the allegations, Daly revealed that Perez acknowledged he had been drinking.

“He said he had a couple of drinks and he got to the [traffic] light and fell asleep,” Daly said. “I’m very happy that nobody got hurt and nothing else happened, but it’s not exactly what I would have liked to have with my eggs this morning.”

Perez seemed to downplay the incident.

“It was a mistake, everyone can make mistakes,” said Perez, who has a 14.40 ERA in Grapefruit League play. “It’s the first time it happened. The only thing I can say [is] I’ll be more careful next time and hope this doesn’t happen again.”

Responding to a question about his alleged refusal to undergo a sobriety test, Perez said, “It doesn’t matter to me if they [the police] want to do it. If I say no, [it’s no].”

Of course, that might not sit well with Daly and Malone. They seemed concerned about Perez’s nonchalant attitude.

“Well, obviously I’m not happy,” Daly said. “Kevin and I talked to Carlos and he gave us his version of what took place. Until we hear another version of what took place, which we haven’t, I really have to accept his version.

“I don’t think he even realized that . . . he thought he was finished [with the process]. He thought he paid his fine and he’s out.”

For better or worse, Malone is linked to Perez because he gave him a three-year deal two years before he was eligible for free agency. Some in the organization expressed concern about the deal because of Perez’s late-night reputation and often unacceptable work habits.

For some unexplained reason, Perez crashed his Mercedes into a lamppost and suffered a broken nose shortly before Tom Lasorda acquired him and Mark Grudzielanek in a seven-player 1998 trade with the Montreal Expos. And Perez still hasn’t explained how his knee injury occurred last season.

Malone admonished a reporter for drawing a comparison Sunday between the events in Montreal and Saturday’s arrest.

But even Malone openly questioned Perez’s shaky stories last season and addressed speculation that the pitcher banged his knee on a curb while returning to the team hotel about 4 a.m. after a night on the town with several Expo players.

“This is not going to upset my mind,” Perez said of his latest incident. “I’m still working hard and I’m not going keep [anything] in my mind.”

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Right-hander Gregg Olson underwent a MRI exam to determine the cause of pain in his pitching elbow.

Team medical personnel feared Olson might have been suffering from a pinched nerve, but the exam’s results were negative. Manager Davey Johnson plans to use Olson carefully in games while he continues to be monitored. . . . The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers, 7-5, in 10 innings at Dodgertown. The Dodgers dropped to 1-11.