Furcal's DUI Arrest Disappoints Braves

According to Georgia law, anyone convicted twice of DUI within five years must spend at least 72 hours in jail, perform a minimum of 30 days' community service and complete a course on the dangers of alcohol abuse. Also, the judge has the discretion to suspend an offender's driving license.

"I'm sure he's disappointed, as we all are, that this circumstance developed again," Schuerholz said. "Anytime someone in you family has a problem that occurs on multiple occasions, it's frustrating. We'll do all we can to help him get to the bottom of it."

Schuerholz said the team could bring in private experts to determine whether Furcal has an alcohol problem.

His teammates expressed shock that he was facing another drunken driving charge.

"He's a really good kid," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "I hope at the very least he learns from this, gets better and puts this behind him as quickly as possible."

Furcal, 26, already is on probation for a drunken driving conviction stemming from his 2000 arrest in Cobb County. Authorities said he violated the terms of his probation with his arrest Friday.

At the time of his first arrest, Furcal also was charged with underage drinking since the Braves listed his age as 19. That charge was dropped when the investigation revealed that he was actually three years older.

Furcal's one-year probation was set to expire Oct. 29, said Cobb County Solicitor General Barry Morgan. Furcal was previously sentenced to a year on probation, a $500 fine and 40 hours of community service. His probation was delayed until last year because of court appeals, Morgan said.

Schuerholz said he didn't think the case would affect the team's performance. The Braves had a seven-game lead in the NL East before Friday's game against the Expos.

"This is unnecessary distraction, and we don't need distractions like this," he said. "But we'll deal with it. We've shown they can circle the wagons with other issues. I'm sure we'll circle the wagons on this."