Omar Vizquel is one of the greats in Major League Baseball. A Hall of Fame candidate who played 24 seasons for six clubs, he’s widely considered one of baseball’s all-time best fielding shortstops. But he seems to be going through some stuff right now that, if true, has the potential to blow up his entire legacy.
The 54-year-old was just slapped with a lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing a team batboy in 2019.
The 25-year-old plaintiff, who is autistic, alleges that during his time as a batboy for a Chicago White Sox minor-league team, Vizquel, who was the team’s manager at the time, told him he “liked guys” then demanded he shower with him after a game.
According to the federal lawsuit, Vizquel allegedly handed the young man a bar of soap then ordered him to “Wash my damn back!”, making him feel “humiliated, intimidated, and frightened of what would happen if he disobeyed.”
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The lawsuit continues, “As he washed Vizquel’s back, Vizquel’s hands were in front of his body near the level of his waist.”
The alleged back-washing lasted for about a minute before Vizquel allegedly turned around and exposed himself to the young man.
“Vizquel’s penis was fully erect,” the lawsuit states. “He made no effort to hide his erection … rather, he proudly displayed it.”
The plaintiff says he reported the incident, which happened in August of 2019, to two other employees, but they just laughed it off, telling him, “Everything that happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.”
A few months later, the White Sox announced Vizquel was no longer working with the organization, although it didn’t say why.
In a statement released this week, the organization explained:
After first learning of an alleged incident in late August 2019, the Chicago White Sox conducted an internal investigation that resulted in the termination of the organization’s relationship with Omar Vizquel. Because this is active litigation, at this time the White Sox will not comment further regarding the allegations included in this lawsuit.
In addition to accusing Vizquel of sexual harassment, the plaintiff is also accusing the White Sox of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act. He is seeking back pay, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
But Vizquel’s troubles don’t stop there.
Last week, he was inexplicably let go from the Mexican Baseball League’s Tijuana Bulls after two seasons as the team’s manager, according to ESPN. A vague press release said he was taking time to “attend to personal matters.”
And last year, Vizquel was accused by his estranged second wife, Blanca, of physical abuse. He was arrested but not charged. The couple is now in the process of getting a divorce.
Vizquel has denied all of the allegations against him, and no criminal charges have been filed, but the investigation by MLB remains open.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
drmiller
This really fking pisses me off because this is just more ammunition for the homophobes of the world to point at our community and call us all pervs and deviants. Obviously WE know this kind of grotesque behavior happens amongst all men and the fact that this dude is gay is ultimately irrelevant. He’s not a “gay predator” he’s just a predator. Period. But queue all the right ring trolls who just love an excuse to generalize and hate our community.
Men, can we all agree to not be fking pieces of garbage? I’m so over this. It’s literally not hard to not sexually harass someone. Easiest thing in the world.
JRamonMc
Unfortunately I’ve encountered quite a few gay men that take it upon themselves to embarrass and humiliate other men in public places thinking it’s amusing or to be the center of attention amongst a crowd. Personally I’ve always found this act cringeworthy and just want to crawl under the table and hide. Being unable to control ones sexuality seems to be a trait that many men have, but to bring it on to unsuspecting and unwelcomed situations really reflects badly on the gay community. I hope the above makes sense. I feel horrible for anyone needlessly embarrassed anywhere by bullying.
Donston
Homophobes and anti-“gay” folks will always look for ammo. And because people are shitty overall, there always will be ammo. It’s the same way racists and misogynists are able to find something here and there to “justify” their views. While maybe one out of every ten public figures who get accused of harassment or assault are accused of doing those things to their sex. While less than half of those accused of sexually harassing or assaulting their sex are unabashedly “gay”/“queer”/non “straight” presenting.
Hdtex
He’s not gay.
Your point is moot.
Donston
I know you’re primarily here to troll/be bitchy/say things to try and get people worked up. But I’ll bite.
It doesn’t matter if he’s not “gay”/“queer” identifying/presenting or not unabashed about being in the gender, sexual, romantic, affection, emotion, commitment spectrum. People still like to use this stuff to justify hate and resentments. While being homophobic isn’t about resenting “gay”. It’s about resenting both homosexual people and resenting homosexual behaviors. There are key differences between homophobia and being anti-gay.
But I do think people are getting unnecessarily worked up over this. Over the past year, there’s been six or seven guys in US based professional sports getting accused of sexual harassment or assault seemingly towards cis women. Not many are checking for this dude.
BigE
The article never mentioned that Vizquel was GAY and Vizquel never made that assertion either. He only said that he was ” into guys” that he could groom or prey on.. Wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that Vizquel was sexually abused as a young boy and should seek professional help for his abusive PTSD.
Invader7
@ drmiller : He’s hetero…. With deep insecurity around sexuality issues… Sexually harassed a dude with autism ? Beat his estranged wife ? Wow. He has issues / problems.. All covered up because he brings in $$$$..
skeldare
At 54 it was probably a time for him to retire anyway.
linedrive
He wasn’t still playing. He was managing a minor league team for the White Sox. 54 isn’t old at all for a manager.
Caddy4J
Ordering a young man knowing he had an illness such as Autism sickens me. Where was Management, the coaches, other players? Did it “allegedly” take place in private showers ?? To intimidate, make him believe he can lose his job if he didn’t do what you asked is right up there with a sexual predator. You were an excellent baseball player in your days, and now you lost it all!! And to “allegedly” strike your wife, you’re no man! I hope you now have to register as a sex offender as you have now ruined your chances of ever being in the Hall of Fame. Be a man, grow a pair and seek help.
Sanjo
All good points but autism is not an “illness.”
MrMichaelJ
As it is the vast majority of the time, the men who sexually assault boys identify as heterosexual
drmiller
Very this.
RyanMBecker
Well, nowhere does it say that he identified as heterosexual. In fact, it use alleged that he told the ballboy that he “liked guys.” If he had admitted that then he doesn’t identify as heterosexual.
Donston
There are plenty of guys who get accused of sexual harassment or assault who are not “straight” or heterosexual presenting. Or have you just not been paying attention? We also don’t know what this dude is like in his personal life or how he presents himself to the people around him. What you present publicly is a different thing. While if true the harrassment took place when the ball boy was in his early twenties, not a kid.
KM201
This sounds like the plot line of a Nifty story called “Bonding with Coach” from 1998. I wonder if this is where he got the inspiration to think he’d get this autistic guy to blow him in the showers. The way the lawsuit is written literally reads like a verbatim retelling of the tale, I shit you not.
Fahd
If the allegations are true, I believe there´s probably a substance abuse issue here. He´s 54 and these allegations seem recent. No one gets away with behavior like this for so long, so I doubt it´s a lifelong thing with him. A change in personality and behavior like this probably signals that there´s something else like substance abuse involved.
Maybe predators target people with developmental disabilities, like autism, because they see them as easy targets and unreliable witnesses, but here, his victim seems to have been able to report him and to get a lawyer involved. I hope those who alleged injury will be heard and compensated as appropriate and I hope he´s appropriately punished and treated.
Also, Í have read many times that most ¨child predators identify as heterosexual.
Donston
The ball boy was around 23 at the time this allegedly happened, not a child. Also, there are some (many in fact) who get away with behaviors like this for decades. Maybe he was never that unabashed or aggressive before or kept that type of behavior away from his work. But I wouldn’t assume, if true, that that’s the absolute first time he’s done something in that range of behaviors. And not everything is related to drugs.
Fahd
@Donston
Are you just looking for someone/something to disagree with? You mentioned above that “people are shitty overall” .
Maybe he’s getting away with this behavior for years? or Maybe this time it was a more aggressive behavior? Maybe, maybe….
Not everything is related to drugs, but I think in this case it is. And I’m sure if one asked him, he’d say he’s straight with an ex-wife and all.
Buck up, buckeroo. A “life is short and then you die” attitude makes for a grumpy Gus.
Thad
Good on the White Sox for acting on this. But another Chicago pro sports team, the NHL Blackhawks, seem to be covering up a case of same-sex abuse in their organization….