If you’ve ever thought professional baseball players were your idols, you should pick up a newspaper. On Feb. 12, Cleveland’s Austin Kearns was arrested on DUI charges. Four day’s later Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera was arrested for the same thing. If that wasn’t enough, Oakland’s Coco Crisp was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz. last Wednesday for – you guessed it – “driving under the influence.” It’s been a busy spring already for the players and apparently likewise for police.

The man less commonly known as Covelli Crisp is coming back from a brutal 2009 and 2010 with the Royals and A’s in which injuries restricted him to a combined 124 games. Whether this latest stumble in his attempt to be the Coco of old will hinder him is unknown. He may face disciplinary action from both the Athletics and the law, but the $5.75 million he’ll earn this season will probably make that part of things easier to tolerate.

A big concern here is what happens to the A’s long-term. When healthy, Crisp has the potential to be a fixture in the lineup. He’s not going to hit even 10 home runs, but he’s capable of hitting .280 at least, stealing 25-30 bases and scoring 80-90 times a season. However, Crisp is clearly not healthy right now. Throughout Spring Training and possibly even continuing until his return to Oakland for the start of the season, his DUI situation will follow him around like an annoying little brother.

DUI is by far not the worst charge we’ve seen a player get, it has the potential to ruin a player’s mental game. Crisp has already apologized to management and the fans, but he’s yet to address it with his teammates. Crisp needs to continue putting on the brave face and answer all of the questions he’ll get and eventually it will be dropped. Then, and only then, can he focus on baseball, and in the new-look AL West, he’ll need to be as focused as he can be.