ESPN’s story on a Los Angeles Angels employee contained a lot of troubling allegations, but one of the most notable ones is that multiple Angels employees allegedly knew of Tyler Skaggs’ opioid use.
One of those employees is Eric Kay, the team’s director of communications, who told federal investigators that he provided oxycodone to Skaggs. According to T.J. Quinn of Outside the Lines, Kay told federal investigators that two other team employees knew that Skaggs was using opioids well before he died from an overdose. While one employee remains unnamed, the other is Kay’s former supervisor, ex-vice president of communications Tim Mead.
Kay and Mead were close, as evidenced by this June post in which Kay acknowledged Mead’s influence when the latter departed the team in June to become president of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
What can I ever say to express my gratitude to @TMead2002 ? Thank you seems so far off. He has influenced my life in so many ways, mostly how to be kind & compassionate. I lost my dad in 1998 & Tim took over that father figure role in my life. He is the best man I know. #Angels pic.twitter.com/p9JPp7Vzjz
— Eric Kay (@EKay2121) June 11, 2019
Kay alleged that he first told Mead about Skaggs’ drug use in 2017. Kay’s mother, Sandy, told ESPN that she saw texts sent by her son to Mead stating that the organization needed to get Skaggs “off his back.”
Mead denied that he had any knowledge of Skaggs’ drug use when contacted by ESPN.
The Angels have also denied any knowledge of team employees providing players with opioids. Under the league’s drug policy, teams who are aware that a player is using a Drug of Abuse are required to report it to Major League Baseball.
