Former Major League Baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu, a one-time rising star from Japan, was arrested in Gardena for allegedly driving while intoxicated, police said Monday.
Irabu, 41, of Rancho Palos Verdes was stopped for a possible traffic violation about 1:30 a.m. May 17 in the 3100 block of Redondo Beach Boulevard, according to Lt. Steven Prendergast.
He was booked just after 2 a.m. and released around 10:30 a.m. after posting $5,000 bail, according to Sheriff's Department jail records.
Irabu was booked on a possible misdemeanor, but a decision on whether or what charges will be filed will come in about a month, Prendergast added.
Known infamously as the player called a "fat pus-y toad" by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for shirking his duties during a spring training game, Irabu pitched in the major leagues from 1997 to 2002.
He came to the United States with great promise after eight exceptional years in Japan. But he didn't live up to his reputation, and his professional career was cut short after stints with the Yankees, Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers.
Last year, he signed with the Golden Baseball League's Long Beach Armada, an independent professional organization.
According to a news release issued in April 2009, Irabu returned to Japan and continued to play until he was sidelined by a knee injury.
The Long Beach Armada has suspended operations, according to its website.
Kevin Outcoult, commissioner for the Golden Baseball League, said Irabu left the Armada after half a season to return to Japan, but he doesn't believe Irabu is currently signed with any team.
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