Police arrested Oneonta Tigers relief pitcher Kevan J. Hess on Tuesday morning for driving while intoxicated, Oneonta Police Department Lt. Dennis Nayor said Friday.
Officers Derrick Kruser and Joseph Tiemann stopped Hess' Pontiac Grand Prix at West and Clinton streets at 1:16 a.m. Tuesday, Nayor said.
Hess, 21, of Kalamazoo, Mich., was taken to the police station, where Nayor said he took a breath test. His blood alcohol content was .08, the number deemed to be intoxicated in New York.
Hess was released on his own recognizance to a sober party Tuesday morning, Nayor said. The OPD did not identify the sober party.
Hess, also charged with failure to signal a turn, is scheduled to appear in Oneonta City Court on July 29.
O-Tigers general manger Andrew Weber said he heard of the Hess' arrest Friday.
"I found out when I picked up the paper," Weber said. Hess' arrest was listed in the police blotter that ran in Friday's editions of The Daily Star.
Weber added he didn't know if O-Tigers manager Howard Bushong was aware of Hess' arrest before Friday. The O-Tigers began a three-game New York-Penn League series at Mahoning Valley (Ohio) on Friday. They return home Monday to play the defending NY-Penn champion Batavia Muckdogs.
The Detroit Tigers selected Hess, a right-hander from Western Michigan University, in the 14th round of the First-Year Player Draft in June. Hess earned his first professional victory Thursday, when Oneonta defeated the host Auburn Doubledays, 5-4. Hess pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out four.
Oneonta played at the Tri-City ValleyCats in Troy on Sunday, then had an off day Monday before traveling to Auburn on Tuesday for a three-game series. Before his appearance Thursday, the last time Hess pitched was July 9, when he threw two scoreless innings in Oneonta's 7-6 loss to Vermont at Damaschke Field.
"For the most part, I have to defer to Detroit," said Weber, adding that he has only spoken to Hess once since the Tigers arrived in Oneonta on June 18. "It's a matter between them and Kevan. It's outside of the realm of our business and because of that, I'm not at liberty to discuss these issues."
Attempts to reach Detroit director of minor league operations Dan Lunetta at his office in Lakeland, Fla., on Friday were unsuccessful. Lunetta's office number in Lakeland _ the site of the Tigers' spring training complex _ does not have an answering machine.
Tigers scout Clyde Weir said he was surprised to hear of Hess' arrest.
"He's a fine, fine young man," Weir said of Hess, who has appeared in seven games this season, going 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA. He has struck out 11 and walked three over 14 1/3 innings. "He comes from a very fine family. Both of his parents are educators."
Weir is an area scout for Detroit in Michigan and said he watched Hess numerous times as a player for Western Michigan University, where he went 0-1 with an 8.14 ERA over 24 1/3 innings this past spring as a junior. The two previous seasons, Hess served as a catcher for WMU.
According to the O-Tigers' website, Hess remains on the roster.
Hess' older brother Andrew was drafted in the 19th round by the Tigers in 2007. Andrew Hess plays for Single-A Lakeland.
_ Daily Star staff writer Denise Richardson contributed to this report.
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Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.
