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Former Tigers 1st Base Coach Omar Vizquel accused of domestic violence against wife

Omar Vizquel Detroit Tigers
Posted at 10:12 AM, Dec 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-16 10:12:56-05

(WXYZ) — Former Detroit Tigers First Base Coach Omar Vizquel has been accused of domestic abuse by his wife, Blanca, according to The Athletic.

Blanca told The Athletic that he physically abused her in 2011, 2014 and 2016, and said she decided to leave him after a heated argument in August and began divorce proceedings.

According to The Athletic, Omar's attorney said he "flatly denies any allegations of domestic violence."

The Athletic asked Omar about his wife's allegations. He told them, "I don't have anything to say. This is a divorce and I know she's really pissed off. There is a lot of things (being said) out there about things supposedly happening behind closed doors, you know. I don't have anything to say about that, either. It's just a divorce."

The MLB is also reportedly investigating Omar, and has interviewed Blanca.

"While Omar Vizquel has not been employed by a Major League organization for some time, we are aware of the allegations and will continue to look into them," the MLB said in a statement to The Athletic.

He is a 3-time All-Star and won 11 Gold Gloves at shortstop in his 24-year career with several teams. He coached First Base for the Tigers from 2014-2017 and interviewed for the open managerial job that eventually went to Ron Gardenhire.