ESPN analyst Steve Phillips takes leave of absence
ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips has taken a leave of absence in the wake of an affair with a production assistant that turned ugly when the woman allegedly harassed his family after the two broke up.
>>Photos: Steve Phillips' Mets career
"I am deeply sorry that I have put my family and colleagues through this,'' he said in a statement, adding he wanted to "avoid any unnecessary distractions through the balance of the baseball playoffs.''
The network said, "We were aware of this and took appropriate disciplinary action at the time. We have granted Steve's request for an extended leave of absence to allow him to address it.''
Phillips appeared on ESPN as recently as Tuesday, before the matter became public through a report in yesterday's New York Post. It is not clear when he will return to TV.
Quoting from a Wilton, Conn., police report, the Post reported on Phillips' "extreme concerns'' about his family's safety because of "obsessive and delusional'' behavior by the 22-year-old, identified as Brooke Hundley.
That included phone calls and a letter to Phillips' wife, Marni, and attempts to reach their 16-year-old son through Facebook.
Phillips, 46, is an analyst on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball'' as well as on the studio show "Baseball Tonight.''
During his time as the Mets' general manager he took a leave of absence in 1998 after admitting to having sex with a team employee, who sued him for harassment. The case was later settled out of court.
The Post reported that Marni Phillips is suing her husband for divorce. They have four sons.
The police report obtained by the Post said Phillips and Hundley first met July 13 in St. Louis, but the relationship lasted only three weeks or so.
Statements in the report from both Phillips and his wife alleged Hundley began calling their home in early August and left a letter graphically detailing their relationship on Aug. 19. She crashed her car as she rushed to leave their property upon being discovered.
It was that night the couple learned Hundley had been communicating with their son. Marni Phillips told police she was "terrified.''
ESPN declined to comment about Hundley's current employment status.
In 2006 another ESPN baseball analyst, Harold Reynolds, was fired in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Reynolds later sued the network and settled out of court.
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