BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger rips radio station, warns of litigation after interview with accuser

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Saturday, February 18, 2023

White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger rips radio station, warns of litigation after interview with accuser

Finestead painted a sordid picture of Clevinger, accusing him of having ‘‘choked’’ her last June and taken her phone so she couldn’t call the police. She also described him as a drug abuser who drove a car while on acid with her and his two other children from another woman as passengers and as a serial cheater and abuser who is in need of ‘‘drug rehab and therapy.’’

Finestead also said she filed a police report against Clevinger after learning he intended to seek full custody of their child.

And she took issue with Clevinger’s comments in his news conference, during which he denied having done anything wrong and complained of being mischaracterized ‘‘like I am one of those people.’’

‘‘For him to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, poor me on my first day [in camp]?’ Like, your poor baby. Your poor other kids,’’ she said. ‘‘He’s just so full of himself and such a narcissist that he will deny, lie and project every day. That’s just who he is.’’

Clevinger fired back at The Score.

‘‘It’s the world we’re living in,’’ he said. ‘‘Everyone wants the clicks. It doesn’t matter what the real truth is. Everyone will stop and look at the car crash, but no one’s going to stop and smell the flowers. That’s how the world is. But that was really trashy of them. That was some lowlife material right there.’’

Clevinger warned of potential litigation against the station in response.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 18, 2023 at 12:13 AM | 22 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: domestic abuse, mike clevinger

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1. Bruce Chen's Huge Panamanian Robot Posted: February 18, 2023 at 06:10 AM (#6117747)

Everyone will stop and look at the car crash, but no one’s going to stop and smell the flowers

This man is an idiot.

2. dejarouehg Posted: February 18, 2023 at 10:29 AM (#6117770)

I seem to remember Bauer speaking highly of him.

hmmmm

3. Misirlou cut his hair and moved to Rome Posted: February 18, 2023 at 11:31 AM (#6117782)

Clevinger warned of potential litigation against the station in response.

These kind of statements are worthless. 99% of them are never followed through. Oh sure, some are filed, but most of them are dropped or thrown out.

4. Tom is a Doofwongle Posted: February 18, 2023 at 12:27 PM (#6117796)

Complete list of times a threat of litigation caused press to not pursue a case like this:

5. Bleed the Freak Posted: February 18, 2023 at 02:23 PM (#6117807)

I'd love to meet you Mike and end up in jail, it'd be worth it.

6. i don't vibrate on the frequency of the 57i66135 Posted: February 18, 2023 at 02:33 PM (#6117809)

the radio hosts who conducted the interview with olivia finestead (clevenger's victim), explained why they wanted to air it:

Parkins: "She's telling her story publicly. And if Mike Clevinger gets to speak in front of television cameras and on news outlets and have that amplified, if the accuser wants to do the same, I do not feel bad at all for affording her that opportunity. If he can call it nonsense on a 50,000-watt radio station, she can tell her story on a 50,000-watt radio station as far as I'm concerned."

Spiegel: "I think that's well said. And there are several people texting, like, how [can] you guys give her a platform, Mike Clevinger had a platform today. He had a platform in front of assembled media. And will again and again and again."

and here's some of what finestead said about the situation in the interview:

"My child eats off of Mike's paycheck right now. So Mike losing money doesn't benefit me at all. It doesn't benefit my kid at all. Would I like to see Mike be put in drug rehab and therapy and owe me an apology and my child? And give us our stuff back? Absolutely. And I don't think he'll ever get there until a suspension is issued.

"Am I upset at the teams? No. It's their job to hire these people. They're a company, and Mike is their product, and they're just buying their product. So I have no resentment toward any of the teams.

"I have a resentment, obviously, toward her dad for being a liar and abuser. And, awwwww, my little baby just said 'dad,' that was her first word. But, yeah, I don't have any resentment or frustration towards the teams."

7. The Yankee Clapper Posted: February 18, 2023 at 03:54 PM (#6117821)

Finestead also said she filed a police report against Clevinger after learning he intended to seek full custody of their child.

Family Court is probably a better forum for sorting out the merits of the various allegations than dueling media appearances or the Internet.

8. The Duke Posted: February 18, 2023 at 08:24 PM (#6117842)

Reminds me of the great Sam Kinison bit " I want my xxx records back!"

I wonder if Sam would have survived in this era

9. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: February 18, 2023 at 09:21 PM (#6117849)

What possible litigation can he even do to the radio station? Airing slander by a guest?

10. cHiEf iMpaCt oFfiCEr JE

Posted: February 19, 2023 at 04:35 AM (#6117867)

She also described him as a drug abuser who drove a car while on acid with her and his two other children from another woman as passengers and as a serial cheater and abuser who is in need of ‘‘drug rehab and therapy.’’

Yeesh, try reading this sentence aloud. Has the Sun-Times fired all of its editors?

11. RickG Posted: February 19, 2023 at 07:53 AM (#6117871)

And from the Tribune today:

A White Sox player suing the flagship station of the Chicago Cubs for defamation would bring the crosstown rivalry to another level and would create plenty of content for sports writers to opine about.

I doubt it will happen. But in case he were serious, I gave Clevinger a chance to explain his reason for threatening a lawsuit against a sports radio station.

“I don’t need your chance, bro,” he said, walking away without making eye contact.

So this is going well.

12. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: February 19, 2023 at 08:38 AM (#6117872)

Well, he is from Jacksonville. I don't know what we expected.

13. JimMusComp misses old primer... Posted: February 19, 2023 at 10:04 AM (#6117877)

That’s how the world is. But that was really trashy of them. That was some lowlife material right there.’’

Clevinger continued off mic, and off the record, “They’re lucky I don’t drive over there and choke ‘em out!”

14. Captain Joe Bivens, Pointless and Wonderful Posted: February 19, 2023 at 11:49 AM (#6117889)

Yeesh, try reading this sentence aloud. Has the Sun-Times fired all of its editors?

Not only does that dancing monkey hate the message, he hates the message!

15. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: February 20, 2023 at 11:46 AM (#6117957)

I seem to remember Bauer speaking highly of him

According to Clevinger's accuser, Bauer ‘‘reported Mike’s drug abuse and anger issues a year and a half ago.’’

16. reech Posted: February 20, 2023 at 12:55 PM (#6117962)

Pretty sure Clevenger is a Deadhead/Jam Band fan.
Drug usage would not be shocking.

17. Captain Joe Bivens, Pointless and Wonderful Posted: February 20, 2023 at 07:06 PM (#6117998)

I don't know any Deadhead that wasn't a gentle hippie.

18. reech Posted: February 20, 2023 at 08:05 PM (#6118005)

I know plenty who are total a$$holes- including myself. (I've been "on the bus" since 1979)

19. People like Zonk and Chris Truby Posted: February 22, 2023 at 10:43 AM (#6118154)

It will never stop feeling weird that WSCR is the radio home of the Cubs and the White Sox are now on WGN....

20. Dag Nabbit: Sockless Psychopath Posted: February 22, 2023 at 12:05 PM (#6118165)

I listened to some of WSCR this morning during transition between the morning & midday shows. They didn't mention this lawsuit specifically, but talked of the White Sox, and said that they felt like some guys in the upper levels of the franchise were fanning the flames of this sort of crud instead of trying to manage it down.

21. RickG Posted: February 23, 2023 at 07:29 AM (#6118266)

Point of order: the Sox are on ESPN 1000 (WMVP). Having longtime Cubs announcer Len Kasper call the games remains confusing.

The radio hosts in question addressed this again Tuesday afternoon, by the way, specifically saying they hadn't received any cease and desist order and don't expect an actual lawsuit of any kind.

Then yesterday's controversy was "Does Tim Anderson hate the fans". So as I said upthread, things are going well on the South Side.

22. Howie Menckel Posted: March 05, 2023 at 04:25 PM (#6119571)

Jesse Rogers
@JesseRogersESPN
·
1h
Breaking: The investigation into White Sox pitcher, Mike Clevinger, is complete. He WILL NOT face discipline. Additionally, he’s voluntarily agreed to evaluations by MLB/MLBPA joint treatment boards and will comply with their recommendations – if there are any.

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Saturday, February 18, 2023

White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger rips radio station, warns of litigation after interview with accuser

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