Former MLB All-Star Omar Vizquel is being sued by a former Birmingham Barons batboy who alleges he was sexually harassed by the former infielder.
Vizquel, 54, played in MLB from 1989-2012, winning 11 gold gloves during his career. He later went into coaching and became a manager in the Chicago White Sox’s minor league system.
Vizquel was promoted to the manager of the Barons (Double-A) after the 2018 season but was dismissed in 2019 after the White Sox investigated allegations into Vizquel.
The former batboy, who is 25, alleges that Vizquel told him he was sexually interested in men. The batboy told allegedly made it clear to Vizquel that he was not interested in a relationship. That did not stop Vizquel from allegedly approaching the batboy from behind a few times while partially undressed. The batboy alleges Vizquel exposed a fully or partially erect penis to him numerous times, with an alleged aim of sexual gratification. The batboy alleges Vizquel brought him into the shower once and asked the batboy to wash his back for him.
Vizquel was initially suspended with pay as the allegations were investigated. He was fired by the White Sox in September.
The batboy believes Vizquel had a pattern of treating batboys that way. The lawsuit states that a Detroit Tigers batboy tweeted in 2015 that “Omar Vizquel told me first day batboys have to clean the coaches backs in the showers.”
Larry Brown Sports found the tweet. The tweet includes a crying laughing emoji, which makes it pretty clear the Tigers batboy found Vizquel’s comment to be a joke.
Omar Vizquel told me first day bat boys have to clean the coaches backs in the showers
— Nick Caruso (@Caruson13) June 4, 2015
That Tigers batboy told The Athletic he found the comment odd and thought it was a joke. That person said he did not wash Vizquel’s back.
Vizquel was also arrested in 2016 for alleged physical and emotional abuse of his wife. Vizquel denied the abuse allegations and was never charged. But his wife filed for divorce proceedings last year.
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