Former All-Star pitcher arrested
Police say Loaiza possessed 44 pounds of cocaine.
Former All-Star righthander Esteban Loaiza was arrested on suspicion of trafficking drugs after packages containing a white powder believed to be cocaine were found at a home he rented in Southern California, officials said Monday.
Loaiza, 46, was booked Friday on charges involving the possession, transport and sale of 44 pounds of suspected cocaine worth an estimated $500,000, according to the San Diego Sheriff ’s Department.
Loaiza played for numerous teams between 1995 and 2008, starting with the Pirates and concluding with his second stint with the White Sox. He had a 21-9 record with the White Sox in 2003 and started in the AllStar Game that year.
It was not immediately known if Loaiza had hired a lawyer and the former player could not be reached to comment. He was being held Monday for lack of $200,000 bail pending a court appearance on Wednesday.
Loaiza’s agent, John Boggs, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he had no information about the arrest and that he has not spoken to Loaiza recently. He said Loaiza had called his office early last week but Boggs was unavailable at the time.
“I am shocked and saddened by the news and had no indication he would ever be in this type of situation,” Boggs said in a text to the newspaper. “I don’t know how he would get himself involved in this, so it’s difficult to even comment on it.”
Loaiza made just over $43.7 million in his major league career, according to the website baseball-reference.com.
Blue Jays: Roy Halladay’s No. 32 will be retired before the season opener against the Yankees on March 29. Halladay died at age 40 on Nov. 7 when the plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Toronto will wear a No. 32 patch on its uniforms this season. Roberto Alomar’s No. 12 in the only other player whose number was retired by the Blue Jays.
Pirates: Venezuelan authorities said police rescued the 72-year-old mother of catcher Elias Diaz, three days after she was kidnapped.
Indians: Free-agent catcher Ryan Hanigan, 37, agreed to a minor league contract.
Marlins: Former NBA executive Chip Bowers was hired as president of business operations. Bowers most recently spent five years as chief marketing officer for the Warriors. The Marlins have finished last in the NL in attendance 12 times in the past 13 years.
Noteworthy: Former NL League Rookie of the Year Wally Moon, who played on three World Series-winning teams with the Los Angeles Dodgers, died Friday in Bryan, Texas. He was 87. Moon batted .289 with a .371 on-base percentage, 142 homers and 661 RBIs in 1,457 regular-season games.