Furcal Gets Concurrent Sentence On Second DUI

ATLANTA, GA (AP) -- Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal, who is serving a 21-day jail sentence for being arrested while on probation, pleaded guilty Thursday to his second drunken driving charge.Furcal's latest sentence will run concurrently with the remaining 19 days of his current jail term in Cobb County. He entered jail Tuesday, the day after the Braves lost their divisionseries to the Houston Astros.After his release from jail on Nov. 1, Furcal also must enter in-house alcohol treatment, serve about 10 months of probation, complete 240 hours of community service and attend a 20-hour course about drunken driving.The judge ruled that Furcal can return home to the Dominican Republic from Dec. 24 to Jan 2 to renew his passport.Furcal, 26, was arrested Sept. 10 in Atlanta and charged with driving under the influence, his second such offense in four years. He had faced three days to a year in jail."Everything went about as well as we could expect," said Furcal's attorney, William Head. "From the start, we were tryingto get him a package deal."Last week, Cobb County State Court Judge David Darden allowed Furcal to participate in the Braves' playoffs despite a probation violation on his first drunken driving charge in June 2000.Authorities said Furcal violated the Cobb County probation when he was arrested in Atlanta on similar charges. Darden sentenced him to21 days in jail to be followed by a 28-day in-house treatment program.Furcal appeared in court Thursday wearing a Cobb County jail sweatshirt with his hands cuffed in front of him.Furcal, the 2000 National League rookie of the year, batted .279 with 14 homers, 59 RBIs and 29 stolen bases during the regular season.