From OutKick · Mark Harris · · 1m 20s
White Sox scouting director resigns amid harassment claims
Mike Shirley walked away from Chicago's draft room days after an anonymous tip put him on leave.
In brief
Mike Shirley walked away from Chicago's draft room days after an anonymous tip put him on leave. The man who ran the White Sox's first overall pick is gone, and it took an anonymous tip at a high school showcase to get there. Originally reported by OutKick.
He's out
Chicago announced Mike Shirley's resignation on Saturday, hours before a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. He had run amateur scouting for seven seasons.
What was alleged
The Athletic reported Shirley made inappropriate racial and sexist remarks about coworkers and in front of them, including vulgar comments about women's bodies.
An anonymous tip
The complaint came from the Area Code Games in Long Beach in August, a high school showcase packed with scouting directors and front-office staff. Shirley was placed on leave.
Not the first time
A former employee had already tipped off the club about Shirley's treatment of scouts from underrepresented groups, and said they left their job over it.
“from underrepresented groups”
That one cleared him
The earlier investigation reportedly found no wrongdoing and Shirley faced no discipline. He had been with the organization since 2010 and took the top scouting job in 2019.
He leaves behind Cholowsky
Shirley's last draft was the biggest one Chicago has had: the first overall pick and a record $20.5 million pool, spent on UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
The key point
The man who ran the White Sox's first overall pick is gone, and it took an anonymous tip at a high school showcase to get there.
