Mickey Callaway, the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels and the former manager for the New York Mets, allegedly sent lewd messages and photos to multiple female sports reporters, The Athletic reported on Monday.
Five women, who spoke to the sports news website on the condition of anonymity, said Callaway’s actions spanned five years across multiple cities and teams, including his stint as pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians.
According to The Athletic, the women said Callaway commented on their appearances and acted inappropriately during interviews. One accused him of thrusting his crotch near her face while she attempted to interview him. Another said Callaway offered to share information about the Mets with her if she got drunk with him. Multiple women told The Athletic they also received unsolicited shirtless selfies from him.
NBC News has not been able to independently verify the accusations or reach Callaway for comment.
In an email to The Athletic, he wrote: “Rather than rush to respond to these general allegations of which I have just been made aware, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific responses.”
“Any relationship in which I was engaged has been consensual, and my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these general allegations,” he said.
In a statement on Monday evening, Angels spokeswoman Marie Garvey wrote: “The behavior being reported violates the Angels Organization’s values and policies. We take this very seriously and will conduct a full investigation with MLB.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen told NBC News in an email Tuesday that the “conduct reported in The Athletic story today is completely unacceptable and would never be tolerated under my ownership.”
Team president Sandy Alderson said in the same statement that he was “appalled” by the actions of the team’s former manager.
“I was unaware of the conduct described in the story at the time of Mickey’s hire or at any time during my tenure as General Manager,” he said. “We have already begun a review of our hiring processes to ensure our vetting of new employees is more thorough and comprehensive.”
The Indians said in a statement Monday evening that the team was also unaware of the allegations about Callaway’s behavior before the publication of The Athletic’s story, NBC affiliate WKYC reported.
“We are currently reviewing the matter internally and in consultation with Major League Baseball to determine appropriate next steps,” the team said, according to the station. “Our organization unequivocally does not condone this type of behavior.”
In The Athletic’s report, one accuser described Callaway as the “worst-kept secret in sports.” Two said they were warned about his behavior from fellow reporters. Seven more women “who worked in various MLB markets” said they were cautioned about his inappropriate behavior, but were never approached by Callaway, according to the report.
The latest allegations came less than two weeks after the Mets fired general manager Jared Porter following an ESPN report about unsolicited texts he allegedly sent to a female reporter. The network said Porter was working with the Chicago Cubs when the sexually explicit messages were sent.
ESPN, which said it had reviewed texts, reported Porter apologized to the woman in 2016 over text after she saw a naked picture and texted him saying that his messages were “extremely inappropriate, very offensive, and getting out of line.”
Alderson hired Porter and Callaway. Callaway joined the Mets as a manager for a tumultuous two seasons before being fired in October 2019, NBC New York reported. He joined the Angels as a pitching coach last season.
After Callaway was terminated, Alderson said during a video press conference that Porter was rigorously vetted before his hire, praising his work with the Mets, The Athletic reported. Alderson said the Mets did not consult any woman during the hiring process.
One of the accusers told The Athletic that Callaway’s reputation preceded him.
“If they are vetting him, even an ounce of his personal life should reveal this,” she said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
