Major League Baseball placed Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway on its ineligible list through the end of the 2022 season Wednesday following an investigation into several accusations of sexual misconduct.
“Effective immediately, we are ending Mickey Callaway’s employment with the Angels,” the team announced in a statement. “We appreciate Major League Baseball’s diligent investigation, and support their decision.”
Callaway, who also managed the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019, was the subject of harassment allegations that came to light in February in a report by The Athletic. He was suspended by the Angels in February.
At least five female sports media professionals accused Callaway of unwanted advances and inappropriate text messages and photos, both during his time with the Mets and while on the Cleveland Indians’ coaching staff from 2013-17.
“Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Callaway violated MLB’s policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“We want to thank the many people who cooperated with our Department of Investigations (DOI) in their work, which spanned Mr. Callaway’s positions with three different Clubs. The Clubs that employed Mr. Callaway each fully cooperated with DOI, including providing emails and assisting with identifying key witnesses.”
After the 2022 MLB postseason, Callaway will be eligible to apply for reinstatement, according to the league.
“Harassment has no place within Major League Baseball, and we are committed to providing an appropriate work environment for all those involved in our game,” Manfred said.
Callaway responded to the ban by issuing a statement through his attorney.
“My family and I fully support MLB’s strong stance against harassment and discrimination and are grateful to the Commissioner and his office for their thorough investigation,” Callaway said in part. “I apologize to the women who shared with investigators any interaction that made them feel uncomfortable. To be clear, I never intended to make anyone feel this way and didn’t understand that these interactions might do that or violate MLB policies. However, those are my own blind spots, and I take responsibility for the consequences.”
Indians owner Paul Dolan also released a statement, saying the club has hired an outside expert “with extensive experience related to workplace culture and reporting practices” in response to the allegations made about Callaway’s time in Cleveland.
“In an effort to understand and learn from this experience, the Commissioner’s Office shared with us forward-looking recommendations based on insights they gleaned from the time Mickey Callaway was a member of our organization,” Dolan wrote. “While we were not provided with details of the report or of individual experiences or accounts, there was no finding against the Cleveland Indians related to the Callaway matter. At the same time, the information the Commissioner’s Office shared reinforces our own conclusion that we did not do enough as an organization to create an environment where people felt comfortable reporting the inappropriate conduct they experienced or witnessed.”
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