Williams, the boisterous ex-Philadelphia Phillies closer and MLB Network analyst, is reportedly suing both MLB Network and sports blog Deadspin in the aftermath of a May controversy centered around a youth baseball tournament.
Williams made headlines for his uncouth behavior as he coaches his 10-year-old son's Jersey Wild team in a Cal Ripken Baseball tournament. Internet reports said Williams got into a heated argument with an umpire, cursed at him and was ejected. He also allegedly instructed his pitcher to intentionally hit a player on the other team and called other kids inappropriate names. If all that's true, it's unacceptable behavior — whether he's an average baseball parent or a public figure. Deadspin documented the ordeal in detail, with numerous eyewitness accounts.
Now, according to Philadelphia Daily News gossip columnist Molly Eichel, Williams is suing Deadspin for defamation and MLB Network for wrongful termination, after the ensuing controversy cost him his job. Eichel's story fills in the details, including how Williams got the axe at MLB Network:
On May 17, after the second Deadspin report, Williams took a leave of absence from the MLB Network, as requested by the network, where he worked as an analyst.
The suit alleges that on June 13, the MLB Network wanted Williams to sign an amendment to his contract saying he would no longer attend the sporting events of his five children (or as the suit says, "sign away his rights as a father"), including his 11-year-old autistic son. When he refused, Williams said he was fired, losing out in the approximately $2 million balance of his contract, along with positions at mlb.com, the Sports Network and Fox Sports. Williams is seeking damages separately from each party.
Williams had previously apologized for his behavior at the baseball tournament, which may make the defamation portion of this moot — after all, truth is the best defense against defamation. Williams did say back in May that he didn't curse at the umpire, so perhaps he's prepared to present a different rundown of the events.
Between this and John Rocker on "Survivor," seems like we're going to need another season of "Eastbound & Down."
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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