Good Puig/Bad Puig: The Dodgers’ Future Hinges on a Boy Becoming a Man

American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. once said that “The great thing in this world, is not so much where we are, but in which direction we are moving.” When it comes to baseball skills, there can be no doubt that Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig is moving in the direction of being a perennial All Star. However, his inevitable rise to superstardom appears to be in danger because he is not yet free of the shackles of his youth.

Back on December 28^th, Puig was taking what should have been an uneventful post-Christmas drive with his mother, his cousin, and another passenger, when he was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol officer for allegedly driving 110 mph in a 70 mph zone near Naples, Florida. The officer ultimately decided to arrest Puig for reckless driving. In-dash video from the arresting officer’s patrol vehicle shows Puig’s 2013 Mercedes being pulled over, and the arresting officer chiding Puig for driving so fast and endangering the lives of his passengers. Puig repeatedly asked the officer to let him go, at one point saying he would do anything and begged the officer not to take him to jail.

Under Florida law, reckless driving is defined as driving “any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property” and is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not more than 90 days or by fine of not less than $25 nor more than $500, or by both. The definition of, and punishment for, reckless driving in California are almost identical. Typically, in California, if a defendant has a clean record and there are no particular aggravating circumstances, such as weaving in and out of heavy traffic and/or nearly colliding with a vehicle or pedestrian, the prosecuting agency will agree to reduce the charge and resulting penalties as part of a plea bargain. It’s not clear if Puig has already retained a local attorney to represent him at his first court appearance, but it’s almost certain that he will.

Up until this incident, Puig’s off-season had been going great: he visited sick kids at LA Children’s Hospital for Christmas, and he invited 50 underprivileged kids to play baseball at Dodger Stadium. As Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti pointed out in an interview this past Wednesday that Puig has been setting a great example and doing some amazing things in the community, but that he needs to be mindful of boundaries whether in regards to his driving behavior or other aspects of his life. Of course, Puig was just in a Tennessee court this past November as a result of an April 2013 arrest for reckless driving. Fortunately for him, all of the charges were dismissed because he had a clean record and the judge was impressed with all of Puig’s community service. So it’s hard to say that Puig really learned his lesson when this latter incident occurred the month after the first reckless driving charge was dismissed.

Frankly, major league franchises and their fans are willing to forgive players for most of their transgressions, especially if a) they play with heart and produce on the field, and b) the transgressions don’t reveal some measure of moral depravity or a dark, devious nature that fans would find repulsive. Even when players engage in reprehensible behavior, team management and fans are usually willing to give second and third chances (think Milton Bradley)—and Puig has yet to give the slightest hint of being anything other than a decent, conscientious, hard-working young man who just happens to have turned 23 years old in December and is making millions of dollars after living an extremely modest life until the age of 22.

Not surprisingly, Puig spoke to Dodgers President Stan Kasten after his arrest and told him that he had decided to hire his cousin to drive him around for the time being. Kasten also mentioned in an interview this past Thursday that Puig’s contrite tone and decision to stop driving were signs that he appears to be maturing, or are at the very least, “a good start”.

At the end of the day, there can be no dispute that the Dodgers were awoken, energized, and even carried by Puig’s youthful exuberance, passion, and determination through long stretches of this past season. While Puig did have his struggles during the post-season, his future is extremely bright, and he has all of the tools to succeed over what will hopefully be a very long career in Dodger blue. If the only ‘trouble’ Yasiel Puig ever creates off the field is these two reckless driving incidents, they will certainly be quickly forgotten. And given his immense talent, both Dodgers’ management and fans will be keeping their respective fingers crossed in that regard. So it all comes down to one choice for Puig: does he choose to follow the direction of becoming a superstar or not?

Anthony S Khoury