Maricopa County drops DUI charges against Tony La Russa, but they are expected to be re-filed

On October 29, the White Sox hired Tony La Russa to be their new manager.

One day before that, Maricopa County (Arizona) prosecutors filed charges against La Russa for driving under the influence. The DUI allegedly happened in February. The White Sox say they were aware of this before they hired him.

Today:

I wish I could say I understand this, but I don’t. You surely recall the fact that Maricopa County came down pretty hard on former Cub Mark Grace when he was arrested for DUI, and the county is famously tough on that charge. Here are some details from Grace’s 2013 case.

The White Sox, then, are free and clear to move forward with La Russa as their manager without these charges hanging over him. It doesn’t change the fact that a police report after his arrest in February stated that La Russa had pulled a variation of the “Do you know who I am?” statement:

Before the arresting officer placed him in a vehicle, La Russa said: “Do you see my ring?” When asked what he meant, La Russa answered: “I’m a Hall of Famer baseball person.” He continued: “I’m legit. I’m a Hall of Famer, brother. You’re trying to embarrass me.”

The situation is embarrassing, no doubt about it. But based on today’s action, it’s over.

UPDATE — Or maybe it’s not over: