Former Hall president, Mead,
others sued by late player’s family

STAFF REPORT • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

The Associated Press reported Tuesday, June 29, that the family of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed lawsuits Tuesday in Texas and California charging the team and two former employees with negligence in his drug-related death two years ago.

Former National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum President Tim Mead was one of the defendants named in the lawsuit, according to the AP. Mead spent most of his professional career with the Angels before becoming Hall president in 2019. He left the Hall in April, saying the coronavirus pandemic had made commuting to and from Los Angeles to see his family too difficult.

The lawsuits name the Angels organization, Mead and Eric Kay as defendants. Neither complaint specified how much money the family is seeking.

Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his suburban Dallas hotel room July 1, 2019, before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.

Kay was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on drug charges for allegedly providing Skaggs with the drugs that caused his overdose death.

Kay was charged with drug distribution and drug conspiracy in Skaggs’ overdose death, according to the indictment in Fort Worth, Texas. The charges carry a maximum of a life sentence and 20 years in prison, respectively. His trial is set to begin Aug. 16.

A coroner’s report said Skaggs had choked to death on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the drugs fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, which Kay was accused of providing.

Kay was the Angels’ director of communications, and he served as their public relations contact on many road trips. He was placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, and he never returned to the team.

Mead was Kay’s boss, and the lawsuits allege that Mead knew about Kay’s issues with drug addiction, including that he was distributing drugs to players.

Team officials have said they had not been aware that Skaggs was an opioids user and didn’t know any employees were providing drugs to players.

Skaggs’ parents, Debbie Hetman and Darrell Skaggs, filed their suit in Tarrant County District Court in Fort Worth, Texas. His wife, Carli Skaggs, filed her complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court.