Angels looking to strengthen hiring practices after Mickey Callaway allegations
The Angels are exploring ways to improve their vetting of potential employees in the wake of an investigation into pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who was suspended last week after an online publication reported multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him.
“I read a quote from [Chicago Cubs president] Jed Hoyer a couple days ago that I thought made a lot of sense — that we need to treat employees like first-round draft picks,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said on a video call Thursday. “You know, it’s doing the extra work with all employees, similar to what we do with players.
“Obviously, there are certain things you’ll never know until you work with somebody, and there are things you can’t necessarily look into, but we’re in the process of discussing our current hiring practices, and we will definitely make some changes and add to that process to make sure we vet as well as we can.”
Why did the Angels and Mets hire Mickey Calloway when his lewd behavior toward women was “the worst-kept secret in sports,” according an alleged victim.
Callaway, according to the Athletic, “aggressively pursued” at least five women in the sports media industry over the course of five years, sending three women inappropriate photographs and asking one to send nude photos in return.
The behavior reportedly took place while Callaway was the Cleveland Indians’ pitching coach from 2013 to 2017, the New York Mets’ manager from 2018 to 2019 and the Angels’ pitching coach in 2020. Callaway was hired by former Angels GM Billy Eppler, who was fired after last season.
Minasian said he could not comment on Callaway while the team and Major League Baseball continue their investigation, and that there are “backup plans” in place for the position of pitching coach if the situation is not resolved by Wednesday, when Angels pitchers and catchers begin spring training workouts.
The Callaway story broke just two weeks after the Mets fired newly hired GM Jared Porter on Jan. 18 after an ESPN report about Porter’s sexual harassment of one reporter.
On Tuesday, MLB updated its workplace code of conduct pertaining to sexual harassment and discrimination to include a new third-party anonymous hotline for reporting violations. MLB will also require anti-harassment and discrimination training for executives during spring training.
Versatile veteran Phil Gosselin will compete with Luis Rengifo and Franklin Barreto for a reserve role after signing a minor league contract with the Angels.
The league also announced that there would be punishment for violating baseball’s harassment policy, including a warning, a suspension and a termination of employment.
“We have nothing to announce specifically at this time,” Minasian said, when asked if there are any specific changes the Angels have discussed. “But as we go through this year and go into next hiring season, we will definitely have a plan in place on how to better vet the individuals that we are discussing as far as hiring.”
Angels sign Jon Jay
The Angels signed veteran outfielder Jon Jay to a minor league contract. Jay, 36, has batted .283 with a .373 on-base percentage in 11 major league seasons. He played his first seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, helping them to a World Series title in 2011 and the National League pennant in 2013. Jay played for current Angels manager Joe Maddon in 2017 for the Chicago Cubs.
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