Former Mets manager and current Anaheim Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway has been suspended by the Angles as both they and Major League Baseball conduct a full investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
It was reported Monday night by The Athletic and later picked upby ESPN and SNY that Callaway had sent lewd messages and nude photos of himself to five women who worked in the sports media industry. This was behavior that goes back to his days as pitching coach in Cleveland, and included his days as Mets Manager.
In a very bizarre statement Callaway said of the allegations, "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."
The Athletic obtained text messages allegedly from Callaway to one of the five women where he describes to the woman about sleeping naked.
One woman using the fake name "Samantha" called Callaway unrelenting. Another named "Laura" said that Callaway thrust his crotch into her face during a one-on-one interview shortly after being named Mets manager in 2018.
What makes matters worse from the Mets standpoint is that SNY reported Monday that the Mets were aware of Callaway's incidents before hiring him. That is a direct hit on President Sandy Alderson, who denied having any knowledge of such allegations when it came to hiring Jared Porter as team GM just weeks before he too was outed for sexual misconduct.
The "ole Boys Club" mentality that has permeated baseball for years, but has locked up as a deep, dark secret is now starting to come out, and we call all thank the brave young woman from another country who ousted Porter.
Others will follow.
More importantly it is bringing into question the judgement of someone like Alderson who hired two men with checkered histories and didn't blink. As if the Mets needed anymore bad news this winter after the Porter mess, and the Steve Cohen vs. David Portnoy over GameStop fiasco, this, a form of guilt by association doesn't sit well.
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