Mickey Callaway accused of sexual misconduct by five women, Angels to investigate matter

Five women in sports media have accused Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway of lewd behaviour, according to reports. It is believed that Callaway “aggressively pursued” these women over the span of at least a half-decade and was part of three different MLB teams during that time. Callaway responded to the allegations and pointed out that he has a wife, who has been made aware of the accusations, and two daughters. 

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Mickey Callaway sexual misconduct: Former Mets manager accused of sexually harassing reporters

On Monday, five women who work in the sports industry spoke to Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic and detailed Callaway's behaviour towards them. The publication revealed that these women revealed some shocking details about Callaway but asked to not be identified. The women accused Callaway of sending them "unsolicited electronic messages" and commenting on their appearance "regularly", in a way that had made them uncomfortable. 

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One woman revealed that Angels pitching coach once "thrust his crotch" near her face during an interview, while another said he offered to share information with her about the Mets if she went out with him for drinks. Callaway allegedly used E-mail, text messages and even LinkedIn to get in contact with the women. Two women also revealed that they had been "warned" about Mickeys' behaviour by other female reporters in the media and those that worked in the MLB. 

Another woman said, "He would come up to me and massage my shoulders in the dugout when he thought no one was looking. For a month, he would text me asking for nude pics. I started talking to people (who were in the media) and they said this isn't an isolated thing." Several women also revealed that he sent them shirtless pictures of himself, with one saying, "Two or three times a week for a month he'd send me shirtless selfies" and would then follow up by saying, "Now you send me one of you."

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Callaway was quick to respond to the allegations made against him and in an E-mail to The Athletic and wrote, “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. 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 Angels also issued their own response and highlighted that they will be investigating the matter thoroughly. Callaway will enter his second season as the Angels’ pitching coach later this season but it remains to see whether he will keep a hold of his position following the accusations. Prior to joining the Angels, Callaway served as the Indians’ pitching coach from 2013-17 and the Mets’ manager between 2018-19.

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Image Credits - AP