Mike Shirley, the Chicago White Sox director of amateur scouting, has resigned. This announcement came before the team’s 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Shirley’s resignation follows allegations of inappropriate racial and sexist comments about colleagues, as reported by The Athletic.
According to the report, Shirley was placed on administrative leave following an anonymous tip. This tip accused him of misconduct during the Area Code Games in Long Beach, California, in August. The Area Code Games is an event for high school players and attracts scouting directors and other personnel.
An investigation into Shirley revealed further allegations of vulgar comments about women. These findings were reported by The Athletic, but the White Sox refrained from commenting on personnel matters, per MLB.com.
Shirley had previously been investigated due to a tip from a former White Sox employee. This tip concerned Shirley’s behavior towards scouts from underrepresented groups. However, no disciplinary action was taken as the investigation reportedly found no wrongdoing.
Shirley, aged 56, became the director of amateur scouting in September 2019 after serving in roles such as assistant scouting director and cross-checker from 2010 to 2018. His department was heavily involved in Chicago holding the top pick in the MLB Draft this year. The White Sox, who had a record draft pool of $20,489,500, chose shortstop Roch Cholowsky from UCLA as their first overall pick. Cholowsky was later shut down for the season because of right wrist soreness.