Chicago White Sox amateur scouting director Mike Shirley has resigned, the organization announced Saturday. Shirley, in his seventh season in the role, was alleged to have made inappropriate racial and sexist comments about and in front of coworkers, according to The Athletic.
Shirley was placed on administrative leave after an anonymous tip was made to the White Sox regarding his conduct at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, California, in August. The Area Code Games is a scouting event attended by scouts and front-office personnel. The investigation into Shirley also included allegations of vulgar language about females and their bodies, sources told The Athletic.
This is not the first time Shirley has been the subject of an internal investigation. An anonymous tip from a former White Sox employee previously claimed to have left their role due to Shirley's behavior toward scouts from underrepresented groups. However, that investigation reportedly found no wrongdoing, and Shirley faced no disciplinary action at that time.
Shirley, 56, was named director of amateur scouting for the White Sox in September 2019, after serving as an assistant scouting director and cross-checker from 2010 to 2018. His department's work this year focused on the White Sox holding the top pick in the MLB Draft for the third time in franchise history. The team selected shortstop Roch Cholowsky from UCLA first overall. Cholowsky was later shut down for the season in August due to right wrist soreness.
The White Sox's policy is not to comment on personnel decisions, according to MLB.com.