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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sexson arrives in M’s camp with explanation about citation


Sexson
 (The Spokesman-Review)
Tim Korte Associated Press

PEORIA, Ariz. – Slugger Richie Sexson, one of Seattle’s big off-season pickups, checked into Mariners camp two days early Saturday, knowing he’d have to explain a Feb. 5 drunken driving citation.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” said Sexson, who has pleaded not guilty. “I’m disappointed, number one, in myself. You want to apologize to every fan you’ve ever had, every fan you’re going to have or fans you’re going to lose.”

Sexson, who signed a four-year, $50 million contract, was stopped a quarter-mile from his home near Vancouver, Wash. That day, he had been at his brother’s home, where he had two beers with a chicken dinner.

Sexson said he never felt impaired.

“As big a guy as I am, I thought, ‘No way,’ ” the 6-foot-8 Sexson said.

Returning home, a Clark County sheriff’s deputy stopped Sexson after estimating his speed at 50 mph in a 35-mph zone, though Sexson ultimately wasn’t cited for speeding.

The deputy smelled a “strong odor of intoxicants,” according to a sheriff’s report, and noticed empty beer bottles in the vehicle. Sexson said the bottles were left a week earlier after another visit with his brother.

“I didn’t want to leave them in his garage,” Sexson explained. “I set them in the back seat and didn’t think a thing about them.”

He received a citation for suspicion of DUI, Sexson said, because he refused to take a portable breath test at the scene. Sexson recalled being angry. Otherwise, he would have agreed to the field test.

“If you refuse a Breathalyzer (test) in the field, automatically they can charge you with driving under the influence,” Sexson said. “In hindsight, I would have blown right then, blown under the limit and driven home.”

Sexson said he was transported to the sheriff’s office, taking two breath tests about 45 minutes later. Both tests registered under Washington’s legal threshold for intoxication.

On the baseball side, Sexson can’t wait to get on the field.

A career .271 hitter with 200 home runs, the 30-year-old first baseman partially tore the labrum in his left shoulder last season with Arizona and didn’t play after May. He hit .233 with nine homers and 23 RBIs.

“It feels great. I’m ready to go,” Sexson said. “I feel really good. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in my whole career.”

Notes

Second baseman Bret Boone arrived two days before position players are due, disputing an allegation in Jose Canseco’s best-selling book that he has used steroids. “I’ve never had a conversation with him. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Boone said. … Right-handed pitcher Jorge Campillo, brought in from the Mexican League to compete for a spot in the rotation, threw off the mound.