Newark Bears Pull Donation To MADD On Same Night As Beer Pong Promo

The independent CanAm League Newark Bears have "scrapped plans to donate $2,000 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving" on behalf of former MLBer Jim Leyritz, as the team had "planned to announce it Thursday, the same night as a team-sponsored beer pong tournament promotion," according to the AP. The team said that it canceled the presentation "after MADD said it would not accept the money." Leyritz, who is retiring as the Bears' pitching coach, was convicted of drunk driving following a car crash in '07, but was "acquitted of felony drunk driving manslaughter charges" (AP, 8/24). Leyritz said that he was "not consulted" prior to the team announcing the promotion. He said, "I want to make it clear that I do not want to be associated with anything else going on that night. I don't want to have anything to do with the promotion of the consumption of alcohol" (NJ.com, 8/24).