NOV. 2: Familia’s court date has been pushed back to Nov. 10, tweets Newsday’s Jim Baumbach.
NOV. 1, 9:42pm: Ken Davidoff and Kenneth Garger of the New York Post report that Familia’s wife, Bianca, is the previously unidentified victim, as her name was redacted from initial reports. Familia told Dominican reporter Hector Gomez: “Somebody is trying to damage my reputation with this info. I’m at peace with my family.” (Twitter link) However, The Post’s report cites the authorities and anonymous court officials in providing details of Familia’s arrest, including the fact that he was arraigned at the Fort Lee police station on Monday and released on $1,500 bail. Familia, according to Davidoff and Garger, is due back in court on Thursday.
2:11pm: Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been arrested and charged with simple assault in an alleged domestic violence incident, according to a report from Andrew Wyrich and Abbott Koloff of the Record.
Public judicial records suggest that the 27-year-old pitcher is alleged to have caused bodily injury to an unidentified person, with police officers stating in the filing that there was probable cause “to believe that domestic violence had occurred.” A “scratch to the chest and a bruise to the right cheek of the victim” are said to have been observed.
The incident in question occurred early Monday morning in Fort Lee, New Jersey, per the court documents. That is where Familia, 27, resides with his wife and young child, according to the report.
The Mets provided a statement to the Record on the subject, stating: “The matter was brought to our attention and we are monitoring the situation.” Major League Baseball says that it has opened an investigation into the matter, according to James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter).
It is certainly too soon to know where this matter may lead. Needless to say, the primary concern is with the victim and their loved ones.
Baseball (like other professional sports leagues) has struggled to deal with several high-profile domestic violence matters that have allegedly been perpetuated by its players. The league and player’s union agreed to a domestic violence protocol that vests significant power in the commissioner to assess and punish domestic violence offenders, whether or not they are arrested, charged, or convicted.
That policy was quickly put to the test by Jose Reyes, who was charged with assaulting his wife (though he never went to trial) and was ultimately suspended for 52 games. Aroldis Chapman also received a ban, in his case thirty games, though he was neither arrested nor charged in the incident in question. And Hector Olivera was punished with an 82-game suspension following an assault for which he was ultimately convicted.
Reyes later joined Familia with the Mets and is expected to stay with the team next year by operation of a club option. At the time, the organization suggested that Reyes “deserved a second chance,” in the words of GM Sandy Alderson. “I came away feeling that he had taken responsibility for this mistake on his part, that he was remorseful,” Alderson said of Reyes. “He obviously has paid a penalty for this, both financially and in terms of his career.”
As with Reyes, Familia’s situation has arisen in the offseason, meaning that the league will likely not need to utilize its powers to impose a paid administrative leave period pending investigation — at least initially. Reyes was later placed on administrative leave while the league awaited the results of the legal proceedings that had been initiated against him.
Looking ahead at hypothetical consequences, if Familia ultimately is suspended, he would not be entitled to his pay during the period of any ban. He is projected to earn $8.7MM in 2017, his second season of arbitration eligibility. It is not apparent whether Familia has gained U.S. citizenship, so it is also possible that any conviction could not only result in jail time but also carry consequences relating to his ability to continue working and residing in the United States.
metseventually 2
And the Mets continue to be a sideshow.
CTBrowns
Don’t forget, the Yankees traded for Chapman……
MB923
As did the Cubs. What’s your point?
Nola Di Bari 67
Yep,Chapman’s a hero for the Flying W’s now.
slider32
If you are a great player teams want you, if your not done, just ask Ray Rice.
mikeshaw801
Smart move by the Yankees, Trade away nothing for Chapman… Then flip him to the Cubs for a nice prospect haul…
HOUShadows
Dang can’t see him doing something like that
unsaturatedmatz
Athletes continue to believe that they are above the law
teufelshunde4
Guess you have been perfect your entire life? Must be nice
BoldyMinnesota
I’m hoping he is smart enough to no commit domestic violence. There’s a difference between being condescending and calling someone out.
Wonka
There’s a pretty sizable gap between being “perfect” and domestic violence
A'sfaninUK
Teufel, as in Tim Teufel, as in former Mets player, as in you are a vile homer defending domestic violence by a Mets player?
Grow up, your fave team doesn’t care about you as much as you do them.
teufelshunde4
lmao I’m not a Mets fan… We have zero info beyond he was arrested..
That doesn’t qualify as new enuf to judge someone. Let alone accuse them of being an athlete who thinks they are above the law..
imo there is no excuse for domestic violence. As a man u don’t put ur hands on ur partner..
Big stretch for Tim teufel there… but he does have a WS ring from 86. lol
beauvandertulip
We have 0 info? How about he was arrested for DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ?
A'sfaninUK
Hardly a stretch…name another team associated with him:
zottm1
He was arrested for simple assault
teufelshunde4
Info means other then the arrest… Zero details… how hard is it to wait and see what the details of the arrest are?
let’s just render judgment on a simple this guy was arrested article..
wtf is a matter with some of u? so quick u hate on someone because they have issues in their personal lives..
things happen between partners that get outta hand.. again my code is to not lay a hand on my partner in anger.. I’ve even been hit by a partner b4. so ik exactly what’s it’s like…
why not wait and see the details b4 passing judgement? not hard to do…
A'sfaninUK
Because the vast majority athletes have too much wealth, power and fame and are rarely decent law-abiding people – Dale Murphy was the outlier, not the norm.
You are still defending someone who wouldn’t blink at your death. Familia is screwed no matter what, and MLB is doing a better job of making these idiots understand that its still a privilege to play in MLB, not a right. Need some lifetime bans though. Aroldis is a nightmare human for what he did…but he did it because he’s never been told he’s wrong before and he thinks he can get violent because he wasn’t getting his own way. MLB is taking the right steps in correcting this terrible mindset, if only the NFL did this same.
Jeff Todd
There is more information beyond an arrest. The police say they observed injuries. The victim was his wife, per reports. And police say there was probable cause to believe domestic violence occurred, which led to the arrest. We don’t know all the information — full allegations, evidence, etc — let alone what will be admissible in court, etc. But there is information beyond the mere fact he was arrested.
jbaker3170
When it comes to domestic violence, yeah, I am perfect. Congratulations on showing the world what an idiot you are by posting such an asinine statement?? Speeding, not using a turn signal, forgetting to insert a column in an Excel spreadsheet at work are pretty good examples where your statement would’ve actually made sense. But domestic violence?? GTFOH
teufelshunde4
I’m an idiot for suggesting waiting on full info?
do u go off half cocked alot? then realize u over reacted? u perfect there sport?
wtf is a matter with u?
did I condone domestic violence? no not in the least…
some of u just want to be outraged on a daily basis… it’s quite pathetic
A'sfaninUK
He was arrested and police report shows injury.
Yes, that is enough evidence. If there was no signs of violence or anything you’d have a point, but he’d also not have been arrested, so your presence in this thread, every post you’ve made, has been just asinine and useless. Read a book next time you decide to come in and pull some “gotta hear both sides” BS in a domestic violence thread.
vtadave
No one is perfect, but there is “less than perfect”, which is most people. Then there are dirtbags that beat on women. Sort of a difference.
I messed up today in not submitting a required receipt on an expense report.
I did not beat women.
takeyourbase
Does it say who he assaulted? I must’ve missed the confirmation that it was even a woman.
DarkGhost
A majority of people go through there life with out beating women or getting arrested.
User 4245925809
I agree here. There is pretty much NO reason to ever lay a hand on a femal in anger on a woman. NO excuse at all.. Sure, some cultures may not have learned that, don’t mean that in any racist way and don’t want it taken that way, but we should follow the laws here exactly the same and prosecute the same.
tsolid 2
Johnsilver, you continue to show how IGNORANT you are. Please explain WHAT culture it is that have learned NOT commit domestic violence?
Toksoon
The whole Middle East for one , parts of Asia most of Africa -John get out of your moms basement and take a look around
tsolid 2
When Americans, White/Black/Hispanic stop committing DV then johnsilver and all the rest are more than welcome get back their culture bashing high horse. Until then, shut it.
A'sfaninUK
Calm down tsolid, johnsilver is right. The earth as a whole still has a majority male-dominated power structure in all societies. That’s where DV thrives.
tsolid 2
You calm down tough guy. Again, when there no longer ANY cases of domestic violence in he US then pop off. There are criminals in EVERY culture, tough guy. You and Job silver can go play tummy sticks for all I care.
chesteraarthur
There are always going to be outliers, you have to look at the general feelings about it. I suppose you believe that America is also ok with hate crimes, pedophilia, murder, robbery, rape, etc. etc because there are some people who still do it, despite the general disdain for those actions both in popular belief and also codified law.
DarkGhost
There is a major difference between beating women and messing up on a report. By that logic getting a D on a test that you didn’t study hard enough for is on the same level as running somebody over with your car while your drunk. Both are mistakes
alproof
Idiot
fundaysunday
Really, Jeurys Familia? I know, innocent until proven guilty. Apparently something occurred to prompt a report. Just get away from a situation and leave it alone. Got the world by the tail. Live it to its fullest and stay away from nonsense!
Toksoon
Prompt a report? How about his mugshot and $1500 bail
A'sfaninUK
It isn’t “innocent until proved guilty” though, MLB is going to suspend him for half a year at least, no matter what. MLB isn’t American law, they make their own rules and their rules are “zero tolerance to DV”.
Personally its refreshing and keeps these men from acting like spoiled children. We need to stop coddling athletes in America in generally. Quit giving them free rides in college and make them take classes and pass them, or else no degree. And those athletes with no degree need to take classes on how to act in their privileged lives.
tim815
But, the international draft needs to be pushed.
Jeff Todd
What does this even mean?
TheMichigan
It’s satirical Jeff, he’s poorly stating about the Domestic Violence is in the CBA and the new CBA is stating that there could be an international draft in the works.
It’s far fetched and a poorly written but it make sense in the long term.
tim815
Rob Manfred is pushing aggressively for an international draft.
While his league is having a bit of a swandive into a criminal element problem.
He should spend as much time trying to find a valid way to clean up the brewing crime problem as he does with denying 17-year olds from the Dominican to play in MLB organizations.
Jeff Todd
Okay I was legitimately confused.
Vedder80
Why? Absent a new CBA, there will be no league for any of them to play in as there will be another strike. The 2 are not even remotely connected. It is like trying to compare apples and toasters.
Connorsoxfan
Well you see, apples are food, and toasters improve food, so their basically the same thing… Haha
jd396
I think Tim doesn’t want an international draft
lonestardodger
If this is true, that’s terrible. Hoping for the victim’s sake that a scratch and bruise are the extent of it. Hopefully Familia will learn his lesson, but I doubt it.
metsws
Now the Mets need to sign Chapman and bring them all together. What a great clubhouse that’d be
start_wearing_purple
If true then I hope Manfred throws the book at him.
sigurd 2
Inexcusable.
He was also just in an anti domestic violence advertisement last month with Girardi.
youtube.com/watch?v=AiLYFPsCgtQ
RiverCatsFilms
Mets have an issue with their relievers. Mejia banned for steroids now this dang
BoldyMinnesota
They better lock up reed over the offseason
ray_derek
I get sick of people thinking professional athletes should know better. Why, because they have millions of dollars? Or in cases like drunk driving that they should have had someone drive because they could afford to pat someone to. Get the F*** out of here with that incoherent BS, they’re human, they make mistakes, just like you and I, just like your co-workers. Deal with it.
Dark_Knight
Domestic violence isn’t a “mistake.”
start_wearing_purple
I feel the need to clap at your statement.
bravos4evr
looks like you should change your name to “white knight”… do we know what happened? nope. For all we know she started a big fight ,attacked him and got injured when he attempted to get her off of him. Why this automatic urge to blame the dude? There’s a big difference from being a wife beater and attempting to extract yourself from an attack you know. Woman can start a problem, start the physical violence, then when the cops arrive blame the guy and HE goes to jail. Wtvr happened to all the SJW’s screeching about women being equal to men??? Or does that only count when it’s convenient for your little agenda?
Maybe he’s guilty, maybe he’s an awful person and a wife beater. But to just jump to conclusions like that is unamerican and wrong.
Dark_Knight
I didn’t jump to conclusions. I didn’t say anything about him being guilty. I was responding to the point of that person post where they called domestic violence a “mistake.” It’s not one, it’s a crime just like any other crime. It’s a serious issue issue and calling the act of domestic violence against one’s partner a “mistake” is justifying the act.
I don’t know anything about this man’s situation. I have no agenda. I didn’t condemn anyone.
No one deserves to be assaulted regardless of who they are. If she was assaulting him he has just as much right to get the police involved as she is. We’ll find out what happened soon enough.
BlueSkyLA
Sometimes it’s a crime, sometimes it isn’t. Either way, it’s a serious issue.
TheMichigan
Well under extreme circumstances the human body can go into a blind rage, key word is “blind” where they are blinded by their anger and throw a punch when they snap. Technically it’s mistake but it’s still inexcusable to hit your partner.
Dark_Knight
Well if that’s the case his wife needs to remove herself and the child from the situation immediately as Familia is a danger to that child’s life if he cannot control himself. He should seek help if that’s what happened.
jd396
It’s very uncommon for domestics to be blind rage situations – usually it’s a long pattern of behavior of isolation and control that the girl (yes, it can go the other way but that’s nowhere near as common) doesn’t even realize what’s going on until she’s in the middle of it.
fundaysunday
Domestic violence isn’t a mistake and it intolerable.
BlueSkyLA
Testosterone poisoning. It appears to be contagious.
takeyourbase
Certainly it could be a mistake. Everyone makes them. Even you. Good thing there are such things as second chances.
Nola Di Bari 67
When you, I, or one of our coworkers does something like that, it’s conviction and a trashed reputation which will severely impede future employment opportunities, in other words, we’d be majorly screwed. When Aroldis Chapman does it, it’s a slap on the wrist, and now he’s a hero to millions of overly giddy Flying W fans for saving their season with 2 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball the other night.Big difference there, ray derek.
bravos4evr
but he wasn’t convicted. Had he been convicted Chapman would have been in a different position entirely. Plus, he’s one of the best in the world at what he does. If you were one of the best in the world at mopping floors I bet you’d still get a job after your conviction.
Vedder80
Convicted? He wasn’t even arrested.
Nola Di Bari 67
Wasn’t it Chapman who said, “In our culture, this is normal.” about a man hitting a woman in an argument? Pretty sure it was something to that effect, and pretty sure it was Chapman. As long as he plays a key role in breaking a stupid curse of a team that hasn’t won in 108 years, alls’s forgotten. Chapman the Hero!!
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
“they make mistakes”
Oh yeah, I remember the time I accidently beat my wife.
jbaker3170
So domestic violence and driving drunk are mistakes?? SERIOUSLY?? Wow…That is beyond the stupidest thing I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Guess you’re one of those morons who call someone leaving their kids in a hot car a mistake. Your family must love you
vtadave
Part of his screen name is “Ray”. Probably in honor of the great Ray Rice.
jd396
To even lump drunk driving in with domestic violence is idiotic.
iamhector24
You’re an idiot.
A'sfaninUK
They are coddled man-children who genuinely believe they are above the law and refuse, despite not having an education, that they would be wrong about anything, and often turn to violence when confronted with their ignorance.
Steve Clevenger signed out of high school, he’s ignorant as hell. He is the norm. We need to educate athletes and make them better people. Baseball has always let dumb people play, but maybe its time to end that?
frankthetank1985
Sign Kenley j now? And then wait for familia to come back.
Ruben_Tomorrow 2
Tim Tebow, please have mercy on his soul and redeem him!
Connorsoxfan
Not that this is a laughing matter, but that was amusing.
Buns
With a suspension definitely in the wings, lets not forget that Reed is a converted closer, and with the season hes coming off of it’ll be no question as to who will fill in.
metsoptimist
Great. Now we have two abusers.
willi
Three Month Suspension , and the hits keep coming !
legit1213
“Nobody respects women more than me…nobody.”
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Starting to wonder If DV in MLB is more prevalent in recent years, or just more under the spotlight. Either way, the trend is troubling.
jd396
I don’t think rates of DV ever really change much, just the rates it comes to everyone’s attention. I think the big thing is that pro athletes doing this kind of stuff got swept under the carpet before, and that’s not really the case now.
southi
Actually I don’t really think it is getting swept under the rug anymore than it probably ever has. The situation is that now it matters to more people than it did before. There are many accounts of domestic violence issues with sports figures going back decades. The problem is that very few were actually reported in the media much, and fewer had legal action taken. Here is an article that mentions just a few of them that would shock many baseball fans:
sbnation.com/mlb/2014/7/28/5936835/ray-rice-chuck-…
TheAdrianBeltre
It is embarrassing that we live in such a justifying world. “What if” this and “technically that”. This or that guy wasn’t convicted, he just paid hush money so the charges were dropped, making him innocent. I feel for those who were taught to make excuses instead of the difference between right and wrong, because now there’s many fully grown adults that don’t know better(and some of those are raising children). If she started it, then leave. If she’s done enough to where you want to hit her, she isn’t worth being around anyway. Same thing with men too. Getting physical is unexcusable and unjustifiable, get over the fact that the rules are the rules. Just because values across the board are being flushed down the toilet doesn’t mean we should succumb or get used to it. Please teach your children responsibility and accountability, they may not learn it anywhere else…
galihaaben 2
You have got to be kidding me. He was at a conference less than a month ago speaking out against domestic violence with Girardi. Girardi must be disappointed with this guy. MLB has to do something about it now.
AddisonStreet
Anyone made the “its a different culture” excuse in the comments yet?
davidcoonce74
Not yet but I’m sure it’s coming. Brett Myers and Josh Brown say hello.
metsws
Is there a mugshot or something? Familia denies that any of this ever happened and that someone is trying to tarnish his reputation. His while also posted a birthday picture on instagram 30 min before the reports started coming up
jd396
It’s all public record
jleve618
The $1,500 bail part made me laugh. These things keep coming and pretty soon it won’t be, “better not sign him, public track record,” they’ll become “Well here’s a positive, hasn’t beaten anyone in the last 10 years.”
New Law Era
I think this needs to be looked at in the new CBA. The current policy essentially uses “guilty until proven innocent” and even then, MLB has the power to discipline.
Is there anything that protects the player against additional suspensions from the team. In reference to Chapman earlier this season – I feel like a lot of teams would have used his situation as a means to manipulate his service time and delay his free agency by a year to enhance his trade value. What’s to stop that from happening when players get disciplined by MLB and the teams?
mike156
I understand your “due process” arguments but imagine that the Union would file a grievance over an over-long or unsupported-by-fact penalty. One issue you have is that some of these cases are ultimately withdrawn because the abused spouse has physical fears, or their are children involved, or money issues. The fact is that spousal abuse is wrong, and from MLB’s perspective it is not only wrong, but bad for business.
Jeff Todd
It does not assume that at all. Commissioner has power to put a player on paid admin leave pending investigation, but I guarantee even that isn’t going to be undertaken lightly. And while there’s a lot of power to issue punishments in the end, the union isn’t going to just rubber stamp any punishment in any situation and players can also appeal, etc.
As Mike suggests, the league (like any employer, essentially) isn’t and shouldn’t be bound by the standards of the criminal justice system. I’m all for process, but it’s essentially a private employer relationship. And this was addressed by collective bargaining, which led to the DV policy.
The team can’t suspend the player on top of whatever the commissioner imposes. The Chapman service time thing was a question of whether the league punishment would result in his free agency being delayed, not whether the team would do something to manipulate it.
BlueSkyLA
Exactly, and it’s also worth remembering that the domestic violence policy was jointly developed and adopted by MLB and the MLBPA. It could become an oppositional matter on specific cases, but in terms of policy, the owners and players are starting on the same page.
baseballman
I just can not believe this.