Baseball star Choo Shin-soo arrested for drunk driving

Choo Shin-soo of the Cleveland Indians faces a drunk driving charge after being arrested in Sheffield Lake Monday after failing a sobriety test, the team announced on its homepage Wednesday.

According to police and media reports, Choo was driving his 2007 white Cadillac sports utility vehicle around 2:25 a.m. Monday when he stopped to ask a police officer for directions. The officer initially did not recognize that Choo was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Choo then stopped again and told the officer that he was having trouble with his GPS. The officer followed Choo when he drove off and pulled him over when he noticed the car weaving.

It was then that the officer found the driver red-eyed and smelled alcohol on his breath. Choo had to perform field sobriety and breathalyzer tests. He reportedly drank in the suburbs of Cleveland after a home game against the Detroit Tigers.

“The Indians organization takes these issues very seriously,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation.”

Choo released a formal apology to his fans, team, and his family Tuesday, saying, “I am hopeful that this incident will not be a distraction to the Indians organization while we remain focused on continuing to play winning baseball.”

Against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday, Choo started in right field and went 0-4 with a walk. Cleveland won, 4-1, however, for its seventh straight win and became the first club to win 20 games in the majors this season.

Choo became the sixth major leaguer to be arrested for DUI this year and second on his team after Austin Kearns.

A note that his wife left him in the past is a hot topic among Korean fans. In the note that his wife showed on a Korean TV show, she asked him not to drink too much and never drive under the influence of alcohol.

Choo is scheduled to stand trial at a Sheffield Lake court Friday.