The Los Angeles Angels fired pitching coach Mickey Callaway after Major League Baseball announced he was being placed on the Ineligible List as a result of its investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.
Callaway was previously suspended on Feb. 2 after multiple allegations were made public.
"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," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement, noting that the investigation spanned three of Callaway's employers through the years.
Investigators spoke to at least 50 people, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the details were not made public.
"The Clubs that employed Mr. Callaway each fully cooperated with DOI, including providing emails and assisting with identifying key witnesses. 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.”
MLB said Callaway's time on the Ineligible List will continue ("at minimum") until the end of the 2022 season, at which point he can reapply for potential reinstatement.
Callaway issued a statement through his attorney on Wednesday:
“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. 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.
"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.”
Callaway was Cleveland's pitching coach from 2013-2017, before being hired as the New York Mets' manager for the 2018 season. He spent two seasons as New York's skipper before his dismissal after the 2019 campaign and then became the Angels' pitching coach for the 2020 season.
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