NEW YORK (AP) – Go Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway, former manager of the New York Mets, “aggressively” tracked several women who work in sports media and sent three of them inappropriate photos, The Athletic reported Monday night.
Callaway sent the women unsolicited and sometimes unanswered messages via email, text, or social media asking them to send nude photos, according to the report. He often commented on their looks in ways that made them feel uncomfortable, and on one occasion “he pushed his crotch close to a reporter” while she was interviewing him, The Athletic said.
Another time he told one of the women that he would share information about the Mets if she got drunk with him, the report said. More than one woman received one or more shirtless selfies of him, and one said he massaged her shoulders in the dugout when he believed no one was watching, according to the report.
Five women spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity, stating that Callaway’s promotions spanned at least five years and three teams, the outlet reported. Two of the women said they had been warned about Callaway’s behavior by other media members and others in baseball, The Athletic said.
Callaway was the Cleveland Indians pitching coach for five years before heading the Mets from 2018-19. After being fired from New York, he spent the final season with the Angels as a pitching coach.
“Rather than being quick to respond to these general allegations that just came to my attention, I look forward to the opportunity to provide more specific responses,” Callaway, 45, wrote to The Athletic in response to an email about the outlet. “Every relationship I have been involved in has been consensual, and my behavior should not be in any way disrespectful to the women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these common allegations. “
Callaway did not respond to a text message from The Associated Press.
The report came two weeks after ESPN detailed sexually explicit, unsolicited text messages and pictures that former Mets general manager Jared Porter sent to a reporter in 2016 while working for the Chicago Cubs in their front office. Porter was fired from the Mets the next morning, and Major League Baseball planned to investigate him.
Mets President Sandy Alderson, who hired Porter, was GM of the team when Callaway was hired.
According to the report, the Mets told The Athletic that the club learned of an incident in August 2018 that occurred prior to Callaway joining the team. A spokesman said the club had investigated but “refused to disclose the nature of the incident, the outcome of that investigation, or the disciplining of Callaway,” The Athletic said.
Callaway made the Mets through the end of the 2019 season. Alderson resigned as GM in June 2018 due to a diagnosis of cancer and the team’s poor play. He was brought back as team president in November 2020 by new owner Steve Cohen.
“I was appalled by former manager Mickey Callaway’s actions reported today,” Alderson said in a statement the Mets released late Monday evening. “I was aware of the behavior described in the story at the time Mickey was hired, or at no point during my tenure as general manager. We have already started a review of our hiring processes to ensure that the new hire review is more thorough and comprehensive. “
Cohen, who bought the club from the Wilpon and Katz families in early November, said: “The behavior recounted in The Athletic history today is totally unacceptable and would never be tolerated under my possession.”
MLB said it was “never informed of any allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Mickey Callaway.”
The angels and Indians also published statements.
“The reported behavior violates the values and guidelines of the Angels Organization. We take this very seriously and will conduct a comprehensive investigation with MLB, ”said team spokeswoman Marie Garvey.
The Indians said, “We were made aware of the allegations in The Athletic for the first time tonight regarding Mickey Callaway’s behavior towards women. We are currently reviewing the matter internally and in consultation with Major League Baseball to determine the appropriate next steps. Our organization clearly does not condone this type of behavior. We want to create an inclusive work environment in which everyone, regardless of gender, can feel safe and comfortable to do their job. “
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