Calls for SF Giants CEO to be suspended over domestic violence

There have been frequent headlines involving professional sports figures who have engaged in behaviors that are unprofessional, at best, criminal at the worst. When the subject matter is domestic violence, fans and community leaders tend to take notice, since professional sports as a whole publicly condemned such behavior. Colorado baseball fans may be aware of the calls for one CEO to be suspended over his actions early last month.

According to the record, the CEO for the SF Giants, Larry Baer, and his wife got into a heated discussion in public. While the entire circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear, at one point, Baer reached out to grab a cell phone out of his wife’s hands. She was seated at the time, and the struggle over the device resulted in the woman falling backward out of her seat and onto the ground. Baer then took possession of the phone and walked away.

On tape, Mrs. Baer’s dismay and calls for help were audible. Community leaders who work to end domestic abuse waited for a public acknowledgment that Baer’s actions were wrong and that he would seek anger management counseling. When no such statement was forthcoming, advocates called for Baer’s suspension from his CEO position with the San Francisco Giants. Police investigated the incident, but the district attorney declined to press charges as Baer’s actions did not rise to a criminal level.

Baer and his wife expressed their embarrassment over the public argument and stated that they have addressed the matter. In addition, Baer took a voluntary leave of absence. Due to the public interest and calls for punitive actions based on the man’s CEO position, both Major League Baseball and the Giants are conducting their own investigation. Any type of domestic violence has no place in professional sports or elsewhere. Colorado victims who are facing this serious matter are entitled to seek all of the protections provided to them under the state’s laws.