Former All-Star shortstop Omar Vizquel has been accused of domestic abuse by his wife, according to a report in The Athletic.
Blanca Garcia, 36, who initiated divorce proceedings in August, reportedly said Vizquel abused her in 2011 — before they were married — and again in 2016. She also cited a heated argument in August.
Vizquel, 53, denied the claims to the publication and issued a statement on Wednesday. It reads in part:
“Since the initiation of divorce proceedings with my wife, Blanca Garcia, she has taken to social media and the press to engage in a smear campaign against me designed to put pressure on the legal negotiations. In doing so, she seeks to portray me as someone that I am not.
“Throughout this unfortunate situation, I have been limited in my public statements, because I don’t believe that a public media battle is the way to proceed in the dissolution of our marriage. However, I must set the record straight again in light of today’s article in The Athletic.
“Let me be clear and unequivocal. I have never hit or been violent towards my wife, Blanca. Any accusation to the contrary is false. The two incidents described in The Athletic, one in Alabama in 2011 and another in Washington state in 2016, date back years ago and were either dismissed or closed. Blanca herself asked for the dismissal of the Washington case and both of us asserted to Alabama authorities that the 2011 incident was a verbal dispute over differences in our relationship.
“Furthermore, I have never asked anyone, to remain silent or lie about problems in our relationship. As I have done in the past, I will continue to cooperate with Major League Baseball, on any investigation into these matters.”
In 2016, Vizquel was taken into custody by Seattle police after his wife told officers he had pushed her during an argument, but she later wrote a letter seeking to drop charges. She told The Athletic that her husband coerced her into signing the letter.
In the 2011 incident, Vizquel allegedly began to strangle his future wife, but both parties accepted blame and told police they did not want to pursue charges.
Major League Baseball is looking into the claims, along with an alleged 2019 clubhouse incident while he was managing the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
Vizquel played with six teams over a 24-year career, most notably with the Cleveland Indians (1994-2004). A career .272 hitter, he was best known for his defense and won 11 Gold Glove awards.
He retired following the 2012 season and is in his fourth year of eligibility for Hall of Fame voting. In 2020, he gained his highest vote total — 52.6 percent.