Former Mets manager Mickey Callaway was suspended by the Angels on Tuesday, a day after allegations of sexual harassment were reported by The Athletic.
“Late yesterday we were made aware of the allegations reported in The Athletic,” Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said in a statement. “This morning we suspended Mickey Callaway, and will work closely with MLB to conduct a full investigation.”
The joint investigation by the Angels and MLB will begin swiftly, the AP reported. It is expected to be completed this month.
Callaway, who managed the Mets for two seasons before he was fired in October 2019, joined the Angels staff as pitching coach last season.
At least five women who work in sports media told The Athletic that Callaway “aggressively pursued” them — including sending inappropriate photos and unsolicited messages — in a pattern of sexual harassment that spanned a period of five years. During that time, Callaway was employed by the Indians, Mets and now the Angels.
One of the five women who spoke with The Athletic said Callaway — who apparently enjoyed sending unwanted, shirtless selfies — asked for a nude photo in return. Another said he “thrust his crotch” near her face during an interview. He even offered to share information on the Mets if one reporter would agree to go get drunk with him, according to the report.
The 45-year-old Callaway has denied the allegations, per ESPN. He gave a statement to The Athletic on Monday night saying he would respond at a later time.
“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,” Callaway said in a statement to The Athletic. “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.”
This is the second time in the last two weeks a person hired by current Mets president Sandy Alderson has been accused of such behavior. The Mets fired newly-hired general manager Jared Porter on Jan. 19 a day after ESPN reported that Porter has sent unsolicited texts and photos — including an image of an erect penis — to a female reporter in 2016.
In his then-role as GM, Alderson had made Callaway a surprise hire in October 2017 after the team had moved on from Terry Collins. He was canned four days after the Mets’ final game of the 2019 season. He finished with a 163-161 overall record, but the Mets failed to make the playoffs in either of his two seasons.
“I was appalled by the actions reported today of former manager Mickey Callaway,” Alderson said. “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.”
“The conduct reported in The Athletic story today is completely unacceptable and would never be tolerated under my ownership,” new Mets owner Steve Cohen said in a statement late Monday night.
Cohen, the hedge-fund billionaire who bought the Mets from the Wilpons in November, brought back Alderson to help run the franchise. Alderson had stepped down from his GM role in June 2018 due to a cancer diagnosis.
The Mets did tell The Athletic that the club had learned about an incident involving Callaway dating from before he joined the team in August 2018 and conducted an investigation. But the team “declined to reveal the nature of the incident” or if Callaway had faced any discipline.
For its part, Major League Baseball said the league had not been notified of “any allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Mickey Callaway.”
– With The Associated Press
