OC Register: Report: Tyler Skaggs received drugs from Angels PR official

[AngelsWin.com]

Longtime Angels public relations official Eric Kay was aware of Tyler Skaggs’ drug use and supplied him with drugs shortly before he died, according to a report published on Saturday by ESPN’s Outside the Lines.

Kay reportedly told the Drug Enforcement Agency that he and Skaggs had used opioids together for years, and he had watched Skaggs snort three lines of crushed opioids in the pitcher’s hotel room hours before he died July 1 in Southlake, Texas.

Kay also told DEA officials about five other players he believed were using opioids while with the Angels, according to the report.

Kay had worked in Angels’ media relations department for 24 years, although he has been on administrative leave since July, shortly after Skaggs died. He is reportedly currently undergoing outpatient drug treatment.

Kay’s Irvine-based attorney, Michael Molfetta, refused comment when reached Saturday afternoon by the Southern California News Group. Kay did not respond to a message.

Kay also told federal officials that two other Angels officials were aware of Skaggs’ drug use years earlier. One of them was Tim Mead, the longtime vice president in charge of communications, who reportedly learned of the drug use among Skaggs and Kay in 2017.

Mead, reached by phone Saturday, declined comment. A day earlier, Mead had told ESPN he was unaware of drug use by Skaggs or Kay.

“I have had a lot of conversations with Eric Kay about a lot of things, but opioids and Tyler Skaggs were not one of them,” Mead told ESPN.

Mead had worked for the Angels for 40 years before leaving in June to become president of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in suburban Dallas just before the Angels were to begin a series against the Texas Rangers. Two months later, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office reported that Skaggs had died because he choked on his own vomit.

Related Articles

• Report: DEA launching probe into how Angels’ Tyler Skaggs obtained drugs

Opioids oxycodone and fentanyl were found in his blood, along with alcohol. The Southlake Police Department and Major League Baseball have been investigating the case.

After results of the autopsy were released, Skaggs’ family issued a statement indicating they had hired well-known Texas attorney Rustin Hardin to assist in their investigation of how Skaggs obtained the drugs.

“The Skaggs family continues to mourn the loss of a beloved son, brother, husband, and son-in-law,” Hardin said in a statement to ESPN. “They greatly appreciate the work that law enforcement is doing, and they are patiently awaiting the results of the investigation.”

More to come on this story.

View the full article

[Blarg]

Oh shit.

[beatlesrule]

Um, this is not good. 5 other players also using.  Only a matter of time before we get all 5 names?

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

15 hours ago, beatlesrule said:

Um, this is not good. 5 other players also using.  Only a matter of time before we get all 5 names?

The article made it sound as if the other were no longer with the Angels, l hope that's the case...

This Kay guy seems to throw Tim Mead under the bus also, l hope that's not the case...

[fan_since79]

15 hours ago, beatlesrule said:

Um, this is not good. 5 other players also using.  Only a matter of time before we get all 5 names?

If they're still on the team, get rid of them. Gone!

I know...addiction is a disease. But these are illegal drugs, and extremely dangerous. Thousands and thousands of dead young people. Players using these drugs (FENTANYL, anyone?) are a threat to themselves and to the organization. Skaggs' death was not only a personal and family tragedy but also destructive to this team and its success. Destructive to the game and to the fans.

Clean up the clubhouse and get the fentanyl and everything else the hell out of there! If it's endemic to MLB, clean up MLB! Get help for those addicted, but they should not continue to occupy rosters and do their drugs.

 

[Jay]

3 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

If they're still on the team, get rid of them. Gone!

unless it's Trout, of course.

 

[Claude]

18 hours ago, Jay said:

unless it's Trout, of course.

 

No but it could be Ohtani. He obviously had trouble reading the label on the pill bottle so he’ll be excused.