Los Angeles Angels have suspended pitching coach Mickey Callaway following a report by The Athletic in which five women accused Callaway of obscene behavior.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Angels spokeswoman Marie Garvey wrote: “Late yesterday we were informed of the allegations reported in The Athletic. This morning we suspended Mickey Callaway and we will work closely with MLB to conduct a full investigation “.
Callaway initially denied the wrongdoing, a source told ESPN, which prevents the angels from firing him without just cause that could be obtained from an investigation. MLB and Angels hope to complete the investigation relatively soon, perhaps before the start of spring training, the source said.
The five women, all of whom spoke to The Athletic anonymously and work in sports media, accused Callaway of misconduct, which included sending shirtless photos, requesting nude pictures and, among other things, one case, pushing her legs in front of a reporter while she was trying an interview. The behavior spanned five years and he was hired by three organizations, including the Cleveland Indians pitching coaching internship and the New York Mets manager.
In an email to The Athletic on Monday, Callaway wrote: “Rather than rush to respond to these general statements that I just became aware of, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific answers. Any relationship I engaged in was consensual, and my behavior was in no way meant to be disrespectful to any woman involved. I am married, and my wife has been made aware of these general accusations. “
Athletic’s story came two weeks after ESPN reported a series of explicit, unsolicited text messages sent by former Mets CEO Jared Porter to a female reporter in 2016, one of which included a picture of a erect penis. Porter was fired immediately, but held until the violation.