Matt Bush Says His Behavior a 'Disgrace'

You might remember Matt Bush as the No. 1 overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2004 first-year player draft; he went to the San Diego Padres. You might remember him for being a colossal bust who was never even serviceable in the minors, to the point where the Padres just cut him before he was even 24 years old. More likely, though, you remember him for his trouble with the law, and, most likely, his crying-on-YouTube performance.

Tuesday, Bush had to face the consequences for his actions in the crying incident. He was arrested for drunken driving, vandalism and resisting arrest -- and this followed being arrested for drunken assault in February of this year. He appeared to be contrite and accountable -- kind of.

"The way I acted was a disgrace," and took responsibility for his many run-ins with the law this year, blaming them on alcohol abuse.

"My actions were only a result of my drinking," said Bush, 23. "When I drink alcohol, I become another person which I do not like."

So, yeah, he admitted to acting a fool, but blamed it on his drinking. If that's true, he needs to not drink ever again. According to Bush, he hasn't since the latest arrest -- June 29. You have to wonder how much of this Bush actually believes and how much is being said because he's sorry he got caught. After all, when he was arrested in February, he was screaming "I'm Matt [expletive] Bush" to the police, according to several eyewitness accounts. Seven months is a good amount of time, but is it enough to wash away this sense of entitlement?

Hopefully the arrests humbled him enough and the sentence -- 120 days residential rehab, 240 hours community service, three years probation and a $4,400 fine -- are enough to help him get his life back on a positive track.

To give an idea of how big a bust Bush has been, considering his draft slot, here are some of the other players selected in the first round of the 2004 draft: Justin Verlander, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Sowers, Homer Bailey, Jered Weaver, Billy Butler, Stephen Drew, David Purcey, Josh Fields, Glen Perkins, Phil Hughes and Blake DeWitt.

As if the above list isn't painful enough for the Padres and their fans, check this out. Here are the top overall picks between 1998 and 2007: Pat Burrell, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Gonzalez, Joe Mauer, Bryan Bullington, Delmon Young, Bush, Justin Upton, Luke Hochevar and David Price. Four have already been All-Stars, eight of them currently receive substantial major league playing time and Bush is the only one who never made the majors. Talk about a big-time whiff.

Perhaps one name on that list can become an inspiration for Bush, even if it's just off the field. Mr. Hamilton was also once labeled a pretty big bust due to self-sabotage, but he fought through personal demons and is now a two-time All-Star. If anyone can talk to Bush from a position of experience, he can. Maybe he will. The most important thing Hamilton has going for him in regards to this situation is the fact that he is still clean, because Bush has bigger problems than his baseball career.