An already chaotic year in the Arizona Diamondbacks television booth added another layer of turmoil on Friday as the team announced color commentator Mark Grace requested and was granted an "indefinite leave of absence to seek personal assistance" after being arrested on DUI charges Thursday night in Scottsdale, AZ.
Grace was arrested by a Scottsdale Police officer at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday night according to Sgt. Mark Clark.
Grace was pulled over near 7200 E. McCormick Parkway for having an expired registration plate displayed on his vehicle. After speaking to Grace and administering standard field-sobriety tests, the officer determined probable cause to arrest Grace for DUI.
He was arrested without incident.
Unfortunately, this is the second DUI arrest for the former Chicago Cubs and Diamondbacks first baseman in the past 15 months. The first occurred back on May 30, 2011, when Grace was pulled over by Scottsdale Police after making an improper right turn and determined to have a blood alcohol content over the state's .08% legal limit. That arrest resulted in the suspension of his license.
The fact that he arrived back in this regrettable position not long after makes it pretty clear there are personal issues and lapses in judgment that need to be addressed. To his credit and the Diamondbacks credit as well, it appears the first steps towards doing so will be traveled quickly, and we ultimately hope successfully.
With the leave announced and now in effect, Grace will join his long-time broadcast partner Darin Sutton on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. If you recall, Sutton was indefinitely suspended by the Diamondbacks in June for reasons that still aren't completely clear, though we know with some degree of certainly that his failed adherence to broadcast dress codes played a role in their decision.
Radio play-by-play man Greg Shulte will continue filling that role the television side in Sutton's absence. The team also announced on Friday that former All-Star Luis Gonzalez and baseball legend Joe Garagiola will handle the color duties.
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