Hold tight to your baseball caps because a scandal has just rocked the Detroit Tigers. It’s more startling than a walk-off home run with the bases loaded. Sam Menzin, the assistant general manager, left more quickly than a stolen base attempt, and the cause is claims of forwarding unwelcome pornographic images to female employees. Talk about an HR swing-and-a-miss that landed in the worst possible inbox.
The Detroit Tigers signed Sam Menzin as a baseball operations intern in 2012. Over time, his dedication and leadership propelled him to vice president and assistant general manager. Menzin participated in big league operations, player acquisition, and contract negotiations. This glorious journey has taken a U-turn. Sam Menzin reportedly sent at least three women—two former teammates and one MLB employee—unsolicited pornographic photos of his genitalia over Snapchat. Events appear to date back to 2017.
Once the front office heard of the charges, they didn’t waste a minute investigating. Sam Menzin quit following an internal investigation before the club could terminate him.
The Tigers declared their will to uphold professionalism and respect: “The club promptly completed an investigation. Before the club could terminate Mr. Menzin, he resigned. This type of behavior is contrary to our standards and has absolutely no place within our organization. We have a positive and safe culture for our colleagues and will continue to emphasize respect, inclusion, and professionalism.“
Sam Menzin’s activities left the women vulnerable and hesitant about approaching others. One former staff member expressed her concerns, saying Menzin’s position and power dynamics made reporting the misbehavior intimidating. She pointed out the difficulties many people have confronting workplace harassment and asked whether her allegations would be believed. The accusations directed at Menzin are not one-off events.
Using tools like Snapchat, which let communications automatically disappear, begs questions about the purpose underlying such behavior. The fact that these events span several years points to a concerning trend of behavior unbridled until now. Major League Baseball has had scandals before; however, when front-office misbehavior goes unpunished for years, you have to ask: Are league ideals merely words, or is it time for a genuine reckoning? (Keep following Essentially Sports for more updates…)
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