Rosie DiManno: Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker arrested on DUI charge in Florida

TAMPA—Widely respected Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was arrested early Friday near the team’s training facility and charged with driving under the influence.An arrest warrant from the Pinellas County sheriff’s office, obtained by the Star, indicated Walker, 52, was stopped for doing 82 m.p.h. in a 45-m.p.h. zone.According to the document signed by the arresting officer, Walker refused a blood alcohol breathalyzer but failed his roadside sobriety test and admitted to drinking four beers at a local “bar/eating facility.”The officer noted Walker “showed signs of impairment,” including a “strong odor” of alcohol on his breath, and “glassy eyes.” He was arrested at 12:45 a.m., within a 10-minute drive of the club’s lavish training complex in Dunedin. Court records show Walker was booked at 2:02 a.m. and released at 9 a.m. after posting a $500 (U.S.) bond.On the accompanying affidavit, Walker listed his employer as: MLB — Major League Baseball.Walker, who pitched for the Jays from 2002 to 2006 and was named the team’s pitching coach in 2012, was in the dugout for Saturday afternoon’s away game against the New York Yankees. Afterward, he made a short statement to reporters outside the dressing room.“There was a traffic incident on Thursday night that I was involved in. Obviously I’m very apologetic to the Blue Jays organization, to Blue Jays fans, and my family.”Walker added that he was working through the matter with his lawyer — privately retained, not through the organization — to “get a resolution.”His voice breaking with emotion, Walker added: “My apologies to my three daughters.”He had no further comment. Neither did Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, who followed his coach to the scrum wall, other than disclosing he’d learned about the arrest on Friday evening: “The Blue Jays and I are aware of what happened, the incident involving Pete. But we’re still gathering information and out of respect for the process, that’s all I know.”Montoyo provided no answer when asked if Walker would face any club discipline over the arrest.A DUI conviction, either pleading out or at trial, could result in some cross-border difficulties, but that is considered unlikely for any first-time offender under certain criteria, including having a temporary residency permit, seeking rehabilitation and a record suspension.Rosie DiManno is a Toronto-based columnist covering sports and current affairs for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rdimanno