Any conversation about Omar Vizquel should be surrounding his great MLB career and Hall of Fame candidacy. Unfortunately, his name is now in the news because of some disturbing allegations against him.
Vizquel is now facing a lawsuit alleging he sexually harassed a bat boy for the Birmingham Barons, the team he managed in the White Sox organization. The man suing is in his 20s and has autism.
The details of the lawsuit are tough to read and the damning part of it all is the fact the White Sox fired Vizquel in 2019 because of these allegations. They are now just coming to light publicly because of the lawsuit.
Vizquel could face a ban
The White Sox conducted their own investigation and fired the former star shortstop. MLB was also conducting an investigation of several counts of alleged assault he committed against his wife.
After investigating the incident in 2019, the White Sox fired Vizquel, whose wife last year accused him of physical abuse.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 7, 2021
The lawsuit, first reported by @jmorr1, alleges abuse by Vizquel and a culture that said: "Everything that happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse."
The alleged assault was one thing against Vizquel’s name. This lawsuit is another and it is hard to imagine MLB ever allowing him to hold another job in the league again.
We have already seen MLB ban Roberto Alomar for life because of sexual misconduct. Vizquel’s situation seems to fit the bill for a ban, assuming the investigation validates the claim of the man suing.
This is a sad situation all around. From a baseball-focused standpoint, those who cheered on Vizquel in Cleveland and his other MLB homes now have to realize their former hero is not who they thought he was. Obviously, the alleged victims have to deal with much worse that is bigger than the game of baseball.
A civil lawsuit is now in order so even if Vizquel is not charged, any sort of connection with MLB in the future appears to be gone.