Giants CEO Baer takes leave after altercation with wife
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) >> San Francisco Giants President and CEO Larry Baer was granted a leave of absence from the team on Monday following the release of a video showing him in a physical altercation with his wife.
The Giants board of directors released a statement that said Baer had made a request that was accepted to take personal time away from the team in response to the video released by TMZ last week showing the altercation in a San Francisco park between Baer and his wife, Pam.
“Mr. Baer has acknowledged that his behavior was unacceptable, apologized to the organization and is committed to taking steps to make sure that this never happens again,” the statement said.
The Giants executive team, including president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, will manage the day-to- day operations. The other members of that team are executive vice president of business operations Mario Alioto, executive vice president and general counsel Jack Bair, executive vice president of administration Alfonso Felder, and executive vice president of communications Staci Slaughter.
The team didn’t designate one point person to be in charge of the organization during Baer’s absence.
The video posted by TMZ on Friday showed Baer’s wife, Pam, seated in a chair when he reached over her to grab for a cellphone in her right hand and she toppled sideways to the ground in the chair screaming “Ohmy God!”
Witnesses saw the ordeal in the public plaza. Baer, holding the phone, says “Stop, Pam, stop,” then walks away alone.
Baer and his wife issued a statement Friday, saying they regretted having a “heated argument in public over a family matter” and that they were embarrassed by the situation. Baer issued an apology later.
“I am truly sorry for the pain that I have brought to my wife, children and to the organization,” Baer said in the statement Friday. “It is not reflective of the kind of a person that I aspire to be, but it happened and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that I never behave in such an inappropriate manner again.”