Re: GameTime!™
Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 4:07 pm
Indians, MLB likely knew about Mickey Callaway's behavior: Sources
By The Athletic Staff
Major League Baseball and high-ranking members of the Cleveland Indians — including the team president, general manager and manager — likely knew about former pitching coach Mickey Callaway's lewd behavior before accusations against him surfaced in February, according to records and the accounts of more than 20 sources who spoke to The Athletic.
Sources include current and former Indians employees, people who were around the team regularly and a woman who had an affair with Callaway, as well as the woman's husband.
Cleveland team president Chris Antonetti said he first became aware of the allegations against Callaway after reading The Athletic's Feb. 1 story detailing the accounts of multiple women who said Callaway was "unrelenting" and had aggressively pursued them. Accusations against Callaway, which included sending lewd images and messages to women and requesting nude photos, covered more than five years, multiple cities and three teams — including the Indians, where Callaway coached from 2010 to 2017.
"There had never been any complaints against Mickey in his time with us, either to me or to our human resources department or other leaders," Antonetti said on Feb. 4.
But sources tell The Athletic it would have been difficult for top brass to be unaware of Callaway's actions.
A former employee said that Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff and manager Terry Francona spoke with Callaway about his behavior after a man complained to the team that the pitching coach had sent “pornographic material” to his wife. According to a phone call recorded in August 2017 with the wife, a Cleveland lawyer speaking on Callaway's behalf said the team was aware of Callaway's behavior, adding, "The Indians are frickin' pissed as hell at him."
“[Callaway's behavior] was the worst-kept secret in the organization,” one Indians employee said.
Francona declined to respond to questions on Tuesday, saying "right now is just not the right time."
"I do hope at some point, we are able to, because I think we need to," Francona said. "Just know that we take this very, very seriously. I apologize, but that's where it is today.
"Nobody's ever deliberately covered up for anybody, I can tell you that."
Read more in the Go Deeper section below.
By The Athletic Staff
Major League Baseball and high-ranking members of the Cleveland Indians — including the team president, general manager and manager — likely knew about former pitching coach Mickey Callaway's lewd behavior before accusations against him surfaced in February, according to records and the accounts of more than 20 sources who spoke to The Athletic.
Sources include current and former Indians employees, people who were around the team regularly and a woman who had an affair with Callaway, as well as the woman's husband.
Cleveland team president Chris Antonetti said he first became aware of the allegations against Callaway after reading The Athletic's Feb. 1 story detailing the accounts of multiple women who said Callaway was "unrelenting" and had aggressively pursued them. Accusations against Callaway, which included sending lewd images and messages to women and requesting nude photos, covered more than five years, multiple cities and three teams — including the Indians, where Callaway coached from 2010 to 2017.
"There had never been any complaints against Mickey in his time with us, either to me or to our human resources department or other leaders," Antonetti said on Feb. 4.
But sources tell The Athletic it would have been difficult for top brass to be unaware of Callaway's actions.
A former employee said that Antonetti, general manager Mike Chernoff and manager Terry Francona spoke with Callaway about his behavior after a man complained to the team that the pitching coach had sent “pornographic material” to his wife. According to a phone call recorded in August 2017 with the wife, a Cleveland lawyer speaking on Callaway's behalf said the team was aware of Callaway's behavior, adding, "The Indians are frickin' pissed as hell at him."
“[Callaway's behavior] was the worst-kept secret in the organization,” one Indians employee said.
Francona declined to respond to questions on Tuesday, saying "right now is just not the right time."
"I do hope at some point, we are able to, because I think we need to," Francona said. "Just know that we take this very, very seriously. I apologize, but that's where it is today.
"Nobody's ever deliberately covered up for anybody, I can tell you that."
Read more in the Go Deeper section below.
