Bush in hot water again, Padres cut him loose
Brent Schrotenboer (Contact)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Matt Bush's days as a Padre are over.
And they ended in much the same way they began – with a controversial incident that involves the police.
The Padres designated Bush for assignment Thursday, just as El Cajon police were looking for him to investigate allegations he took part in a drunken assault Wednesday involving boys lacrosse players on the Granite Hills High campus.
It marks the third time since the Padres selected him No. 1 overall in the 2004 amateur draft that the former Mission Bay High standout has faced accusations stemming from an altercation.
El Cajon police Lt. Steve Shakowski on Thursday confirmed an investigation involving Bush and allegations of assaultive behavior and public intoxication.
A witness, who requested his name not be used because of the ongoing police investigation, said Bush was drunk, threw a golf club into the dirt, picked up and threw a freshman lacrosse player and hit another one. Bush also yelled "I'm Matt (expletive) Bush," and "(expletive) East County," before driving over a curb in his Mercedes when leaving the campus, according to the witness.
Bush couldn't be reached for comment. The Padres have 10 days to arrange a trade for him before he goes on release waivers.
“The Padres have learned of a possible off-field incident earlier this week involving pitcher Matt Bush,” Padres CEO Sandy Alderson said in a statement. “We are still gathering information about this incident and will have no further comment at this time.”
If nothing else, the timing of the incident worked well for the club. The Padres needed room on the 40-man roster to sign left-handed slugger Cliff Floyd to a one-year, $750,000 deal. They found that room by designating Bush, whose professional career has been rocky from the start.
Less than two weeks after the Padres drafted him No. 1, he was arrested after an altercation at a nightclub near the Padres' spring-training compound in Peoria, Ariz. He reportedly was denied entrance to the club, jumped a railing to get in anyway and scuffled with a bouncer who tried to eject him.
Bush, then 18, was accused of felony assault and misdemeanor trespassing, disorderly conduct and alcohol consumption by a minor. He was suspended by the Padres before rejoining the organization a month later. He resolved the legal side of the matter by pleading guilty to the misdemeanors, paying a $1,000 fine and unsupervised probation.
Last summer, he again was involved in fight near a pub in Peoria and was injured. The Padres declined comment on the specifics.
Meanwhile, on the field, things never got going either. The Padres drafted him as a shortstop but converted him into a pitcher in 2007 after he struggled at the plate. He hit .219 in his first four years in the minor leagues.
As a pitcher, he struck out 16 batters in 7 2/3 innings and had a fastball clocked above 90 mph. But in August 2007, he left a game with elbow pain and had to undergo Tommy John reconstructive surgery.
Thursday morning he was scheduled to appear for a rehab assignment until the latest incident and roster move.
Padres General Manager Kevin Towers recently said Bush “worked really hard in rehab” and noted his velocity was not completely back yet.
Staff writer Bill Center contributed to this report.
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Matt Bush released
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Beating up high schoolers!! What a big man he is!!
