Through his lawyer, Jim Leyritz has released his first public statement since getting drunk at his birthday party, driving home and killing Fredia Ann Veitch, a 30-year-old wife and mother of two. From the New York Daily News: "Due to the tragic and unfortunate events of Dec. 28, 2007, Mr. Leyritz and his family wish to express their deepest sympathies and condolences" to the Veitch family, [Jeffrey] Ostrow said."Sympathies and condolences"? He can't do better than that? Who the hell doesn't offer their sympathies and condolences to the Veitch family? What he should be offering is what no one else in the world can: his apologies. Leyritz is telling the world that he feels bad, not that he feels sorry -- sorry for being either too cheap or too thoughtless to call a cab, sorry for driving on a license that was already suspended, sorry for having a history of being a drunk who gets thrown out of bars:
"I can't tell you how many times he was escorted out of the bar by the cops because that's how much of a drunk he is," said Ingrid Mahabir, a waitress at the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theater.Yes, we do know who you are. You're an irresponsible, immature, pathetic excuse of a man. You're a drunk, a former journeyman big-leaguer who thinks 15 minutes of fame 11 years ago in the 1996 World Series can get you some kind of permanent "get of jail free" card. Let's see what that's worth now. Have fun in prison, hero.
A bartender there, who recalled both herself and Veitch serving Leyritz drinks in the past, said, "He's a known drunk around here."
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Mahabir said her bar is a hangout for off-duty cops, who sometimes escorted Leyritz out after he over-imbibed, and who told stories about him haughtily saying, "Don't you know who I am?" when they pulled him over for traffic violations.
Previously on FanHouse:
Jim Leyritz Charged with DUI Homicide
Jim Leyritz is Thoughtless and Stupid; or, Poor Jim Leyritz
The Jim Leyritz Story Gets Even Sadder
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-02-2008 @ 5:16PM
nyc said...
I sure hope you have this kind of venom for Leonard Little
Reply
1-02-2008 @ 5:56PM
ron said...
Mr. Watson,if Ingrid and the rest of the staff of the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theatre knew he was a drunk why were they serving him to the point of intoxication???? If Jim is that bad off he should have checked in or somebody in his family should have checked him into the Betty Ford Rehab a long time ago. If his family, friends, employees of the Steakhouse and police that escorted him previously should all be held accountable in a court of law for this reckless cause of death!!!!!!! I drink responsibly, but is there anyone out there that says I am wrong???????
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1-02-2008 @ 6:18PM
Say what said...
To Ron's comment. Ah, I see, it's someone else's fault. How about some of Leyritz's own personal accountability for this cretin, pal?
I'm betting he'll shed crocodile tears at his sentencing, saying he's just a misunderstood guy. Yeah, he's misunderstood alright. Get him another drink and he'll be better then.
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1-02-2008 @ 6:44PM
August West said...
ron,
You have valid points, thus you are right. However, each man is responsible for his own actions, even where addiction and disorder are present. The people around this jackass obviously enabled him for years, but ultimate responsibility must be found with the person who was navigating the 2 ton missile while so drunk he couldn't say the alphabet.
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1-02-2008 @ 7:07PM
me said...
Get this friggin jerk on some Antabuse...and let's see just how tough this IDIOT really is...then the pap can snap pic's of him throwing his guts up, sell them to TMZ so they can post them on the internet.then the world can see just how bad Mr. Leyritz really feels... what about paying the funeral cost for this poor women...did that ever cross your mind drunk?
Reply
1-02-2008 @ 9:13PM
sdf said...
Excuse me, but Leyritz got drunk at his own birthday party and I haven't seen anything in the reports to suggest that it took place at this particular establishment, i.e. the steakhouse whose former employees remember having called police numerous times to escort Leyritz home.
Florida has a so-called dram shop law. In order to protect themselves from the dram shop law, bars and restaurants must prove to the courts that they have taken active steps to stop their patrons from leaving their establishments and driving drunk, not from drinking in their establishment. If this particular steakhouse was under suspicion, I doubt that their employees would be giving interviews.
RON, WILL YOU STOP APOLOGIZING FOR YOUR HUGGY-BEAR MR. LEYRITZ BY PUTTING THE BLAME ON HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, EMPLOYEES AT RESTAURANTS HE'S PATRONIZED IN THE PAST, AND MOST UNBELIEVABLY OF ALL, THE "POLICE" WHO IN THE PAST HAVE ESCORTED HIM HOME!!
Reply
1-02-2008 @ 9:58PM
Ralph Garcia said...
People need to stop treating like alcohol brings you happiness. It should be treated like prescription medicine. You wouldn't take more than prescribed on the bottle on your prescription. One or two drinks should be all to unwind. Any more than that and you're trying to escape reality which means that you probably have issues and problems you need to deal with in other ways. Beer commericals make it seem once that second drink ends, that the happiness is gone. No that should be all and you should either socialize and talk with others or be on your way. No more drinking until the next day. It's simple as that. Alcohol is a drug and needs to be treated like a prescription medicine.
Reply
1-03-2008 @ 12:22AM
Matt W. said...
sdf: Leyritz was partying at a nightclub named "Automatic Slims" in Ft. Lauderdale. He apparently frequented the steakhouse named in the article above but was not there on the night in question.
Reply