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SANTA ANA, CALIF. (AP) —The Seattle Mariners’ Adam Kennedy(notes) has been charged following his January drunken driving arrest on a Southern California freeway.Orange County district attorney’s spokeswoman Farrah Emami says Kennedy was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and a misdemeanor count of driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.Kennedy was arrested Jan. 26 in Newport Beach, weeks after signing a minor league contract with the Mariners.The 35-year-old played for the Washington Nationals last year and for the Anaheim Angeles from 2000 through 2006.He’s scheduled to be arraigned on June 21.
But aside from what Kennedy can possibly provide on the field, the way he handled his arrest left his new club impressed."For him to stand up and face the music like he did, take full responsibility for his actions, he handled it as professionally as you can handle that circumstance," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said.Kennedy was arrested on Jan. 26 while driving home from dinner in Newport Beach, Calif. It came just 16 days after signing his deal with the Mariners — far from the best first impression to leave on a new ball club.If being locked up until 6:24 a.m. was bad, Kennedy's day only got worse. He couldn't get in touch with Zduriencik, who was speaking at a Mariners pre-spring training luncheon. TMZ.com broke the news of Kennedy's arrest, splashing it across the front of its website before Kennedy spoke with his new GM.Zduriencik was notified of the story only minutes before he was asked by reporters to comment."By the time I got up to my office I had a phone call from Adam Kennedy and I thought that said volumes about him," Zduriencik said.Kennedy didn't stop there.After apologizing profusely to Zduriencik, Kennedy took the step of calling all the reporters who cover the Mariners to speak about his arrest. He was candid and apologetic, repeatedly saying he made a mistake."I didn't really have to say a lot. He said it all. He said it to me. He knew the consequences. He knew he started off on the wrong foot," Zduriencik said. "He knew this was something that embarrassed the organization, so we talked about what he wanted to do about it and he said he wanted to stand up and be a man about this thing."Kennedy's situation isn't completely resolved. He had a court appearance scheduled for earlier this week postponed. Asked how he thought Kennedy handled his arrest, Seattle manager Eric Wedge said, "we're beyond that."
