Roberto Alomar placed on MLB’s ineligible list
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- April 30, 2021
Roberto Alomar accused of sexual misconduct
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred fired and placed Roberto Alomar on the ineligible list Friday after investigating sexual misconduct allegations against the Hall of Famer.
Alomar, arguably the greatest defensive second baseman of his era, was accused this year of committing the sexual misconduct in 2014.
“At my office’s request, an independent investigation was conducted by an external legal firm to review an allegation of sexual misconduct reported by a baseball industry employee earlier this year involving Mr. Alomar in 2014,” Manfred said in a statement. “Having reviewed all of the available evidence from the now completed investigation, I have concluded that Mr. Alomar violated MLB’s policies, and that termination of his consultant contract and placement on MLB’s Ineligible List are warranted.”
Alomar was a 12-time All-Star over 17 seasons with seven teams in the majors. He’s the son of former major leaguer Sandy Alomar and the brother of Sandy Alomar Jr.
His No. 12 was retired by the Toronto Blue Jays, where he played five All-Star seasons from 1991 through 1995. The Blue Jays have severed all ties with Alomar and removed him from their Level of Excellence and taking down his banner from Rogers Centre.
Hall of Fame plaque remains up
Alomar is also a member of the Baltimore Orioles’ Hall of Fame after spending three All-Star seasons there. He earned three other All-Star berths during his three seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame will keep Alomar’s plaque in the Plaque Gallery at the museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. He and former teammate Cal Ripken, Jr. had been elected to the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors in July 2019.
“The National Baseball Hall of Fame was shocked and saddened to learn of the news being shared today about Roberto Alomar,” Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. “When he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in the Class of 2011, Alomar was an eligible candidate in good standing.
“His plaque will remain on display in the Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments in the game, and his enshrinement reflects his eligibility and the perspective of the BBWAA voters at that time.”
Alomar was the third native of Puerto Rico inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, following Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda.
Roberto Alomar “disappointed” by news
Alomar issued a statement through his Twitter account.
“I’m disappointed, surprised and upset about today’s news,” he wrote. “With the current social climate I understand why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have. My hope is that this accusation can be heard in a venue that will allow me to address the accusation directly.”
Alomar, 53, had served as a consultant for MLB until he was terminated Friday.
“We are grateful for the courage of the individual who came forward,” Manfred said. “MLB will continue to strive to create environments in which people feel comfortable speaking up without fear of recrimination, retaliation, or exclusion.”
MLB declined to provide further information about the accusations, citing a desire to protect the alleged victim’s confidentiality and to respect the accuser’s privacy.
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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