Raul Mondesi apparently handles a bat better than he does public funds.
A court in the Dominican Republic sentenced the former Major League Baseball player to eight years in prison on charges of corruption and mishandling public finances, ESPN.com reported Thursday. The court also fined him $1.27 million and sentenced three of his staff members to prison time.
Mondesi, 46, had served as mayor of his hometown, San Cristobal, D.R., between 2010 and 2016. Judges determined he defrauded the city of more than $6 million during his tenure and banned him from holding public office for 10 years.
Mondesi played 13 years in the big leagues, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. He also had stints with the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1994 with the Dodgers and was an NL All-Star the next year. He also won two Gold Gloves with Los Angeles.
He left the Major Leagues in 2005, but his son, Raul Jr., now plays for the Kansas City Royals.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
