When Los Angeles Angels sacked former pitching coach Mickey Callaway for sexual misconduct
In May 2021, former Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway was terminated by the team due to his inappropriate behavior towards female media members, which involved sexual misconduct.
Apparently, The Athletic published an article on Feb. 1, 2021, providing specific details of allegations made by five women against Callaway. It included incidents of sending inappropriate photos.
As per reports, the alleged malpractice from Mickey was going on over a period of five years and involved three different teams: the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets and LA Angels.
Soon, MLB initiated an investigation. After a thorough examination, they decided to place Callaway on the ineligible list until at least the conclusion of the 2022 season:
"My office has completed its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Mickey Callaway,” said a statement from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “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.”
Soon, Mickey was sacked by his former employer, Los Angeles Angels. After getting fired, Callaway released a statement saying:
“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.”
He added:
“In my 25 years in professional baseball, I have never taken for granted the privilege of being even a small part of this great game of ours. To say I regret my past poor choices would be an understatement.
"I remain hopeful that I can return to baseball when eligible at the conclusion of next season, but for now, I plan to work on my own shortcomings and repairing any damage I have caused with my colleagues and, particularly, my family.”
Five months after being fired by the Angels, Callaway joined the Acereros de Monclova, a team in the Mexican League, on Oct. 6, 2021.
At the start of 2023, he was appointed the pitching coach of the team. However, he was not included in the Opening Day lineup and eventually decided to sever his connection with the organization.
Terry Francona was aware of Mickey Callaway's behavior
On Mar. 2, 2021, a new report from The Athletic indicated that Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona was aware of Mickey Callaway's behavior.
He went as far as supporting him multiple times when an enraged man called up the Guardians to report that Callaway was harassing his spouse.