Didn't know if anyone else had seen this, will more than likely go down as the third number one overall to bever play in the majors, of course 4 years ago most would have said that about Josh Hamilton.

 

EL CAJON — Former Padres No. 1 draft pick Matt Bush told a San Diego Superior Court judge yesterday that “the way I acted was a disgrace� and took responsibility for his run-ins with the law this year, blaming them on alcohol abuse.

“My actions were only a result of my drinking,� said Bush, 23. “When I drink alcohol, I become another person, which I do not like.�

Judge DeAnn Salcido sentenced Bush to 120 days in residential rehab, where he has been since July 7, plus three years' probation, 240 hours of community service, 15 days of public service and $4,400 in fines.

“If there are any hiccups along this path, I will put you in jail,� Salcido told him.

Bush said he has been sober since June 29, the day after he was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving, vandalism and resisting arrest in Mission Valley. In February, he was accused of a drunken assault on four Granite Hills High lacrosse players. His sentencing yesterday covered both incidents.

He pleaded guilty July 10 to four misdemeanor counts of simple battery in the Granite Hills case. Witnesses said he yelled, “I'm Matt (expletive) Bush� and “(expletive) East County.�

Prosecutor Samantha Greene read a letter to the judge yesterday from a mother of one of the assaulted players.

“This young man isn't taking his life seriously, and I feel he definitely needs a wake-up call,� the letter said.

The parent's letter said she felt Bush's sentence should “sting a little bit,� especially because he was involved in two other incidents since the Granite Hills case.

After the Padres traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in February, a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint that he was intoxicated and threw a baseball past her head at a party in Dunedin, Fla. Someone had drawn markings on his face at the party, and he had gotten angry about it, according to the complaint. No charges were filed, but the Blue Jays released him soon afterward.

On June 28, San Diego police said he was throwing objects at passing cars while standing outside his vehicle near Fashion Valley mall. A video of the incident shows him wailing while officers hogtie him and put in the back seat of a police car. In that case, he admitted guilt July 10 to misdemeanor reckless driving involving alcohol, vandalism and resisting arrest.

Bush read an apology to the Granite Hills players in court yesterday.

“I also would like apologize to my parents and family,� Bush said, reading from a written statement. “This is not how they raised me to act. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to improve myself now. I do not wish to cause myself, my family or the city of San Diego any further embarrassment.�

Bush has been in rehab at Rancho L'Abri, a private alcohol and drug treatment facility in San Diego. He has been paying for it himself, Greene said.

Bush's alcohol troubles date to at least 2004, when he was 18 and two months away from being drafted by the Padres. He was cited for underage alcohol possession that April. Less than two weeks after the draft, Bush was arrested after a fight at a nightclub in Peoria, Ariz. He reportedly was denied entrance to the club, jumped a railing to get in anyway and bit a bouncer who tried to eject him. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and received probation and a $1,000 fine.

“This is your chance to redeem yourself, and we're all rooting for you,� Salcido told Bush.

Greene, the prosecutor, said Bush's punishment is “no less severe than if he was a regular guy who wasn't a professional athlete.�

“I can see where people would say he's getting off easy,� Greene said. “It's easy to say that because he is a sports figure, and that's the assumption. But he has a lot of stuff he has to do. Sometimes it's easier to do 10 days in jail and get it over with than it is to know you're going to have 240 hours of community service, 15 days of public service, a 12-hour class, 120 days in rehab. You have to be on your game for a long time, and if you screw up, you're going to go to jail for a long time.�

After being drafted No. 1 overall out of Mission Bay High, Bush received a $3.15 million signing bonus from the Padres. He never made it the majors. He failed to produce as a hitter, then was switched to pitcher in 2007, when he developed an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery.

I remeber this kid. I heard the padres only took him because they were sure they could sign him. Probably shoulda took Verlander or Jared Weaver.

Matt Bush was probably the worst number one overall pick I can remember. I remember them getting shafted in the press for it and they really deserved it. I don't like the fact that baseball players have so much leverage in the draft at the expense of the teams, but for the Padres to take a guy who wasn't all that good of a prospect was ridiculous.