Cleveland manager Terry Francona denies reports team covered up for former coach Mickey Callaway

CLEVELAND — Cleveland manager Terry Francona said no one in the organization "covered up" for former pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who is under investigation by Major League Baseball following allegations of sexual harassment.

In a story Tuesday, The Athletic reported that 12 current and former team employees have come forward in the last month to say the organization was aware of Callaway's inappropriate behavior while he was their pitching coach from 2013-17.

"Nobody's ever deliberately covered up for anybody, I can tell you that," Francona said on a Zoom call from the team's spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona.

Francona was asked if he was troubled by the report.

"I have never worked in a place where I have more respect for people than here," said the two-time World Series winner, starting his ninth season with Cleveland. "And I've been very fortunate to work for some wonderful people. I believe that in my heart.

"I don't think today is the day to go into details, things like that. I do hope there is a day, because I think it would be good, and I think it's necessary," he said.

Francona said the team plans to release a statement further addressing the matter.

"Their behavior is unacceptable, and even worse, it's hard to have faith in them to improve and learn when they seem more concerned about covering up wrongdoings that addressing them honestly," Nick Francona wrote.

The younger Francona also wrote: "My father lied to me and said he didn't know" anything about Callaway's behavior.

The 61-year-old Francona, who managed only 14 games last season because of health issues, said his son's comments were painful.

"I love all my children unconditionally," he said. "As you can imagine, that's a very difficult thing to see. So to deal with it publicly is hurtful."

Last month, Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said he wasn't aware of Callaway's behavior until he read about it in a story by the Athletic, which detailed Callaway's pursuit of women over a five-year period with three teams.

When he spoke on Feb. 4, Antonetti said he was "distraught" and "disturbed" by the allegations against Callaway. Antonetti expressed regret that none of the accusers felt they could come forward and that the team was committed to making its workplace safe.

Antonetti added that he was not aware if the Mets had reached out to the Indians before they hired Callaway in 2017.

On Monday, Mets president Sandy Alderson acknowledged the team was perhaps short-sighted in its hiring process and probably should have done a better job of vetting Callaway.