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Retired Cleveland Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel has been accused of domestic violence by his estranged wife, who says he was violent with her on several occasions both before and after they were married in 2014.
The 36-year-old Blanca Vizquel told The Athletic that 53-year-old Omar abused her in 2011 and again in 2016. She claims she finally left him after an argument in August.
Vizquel, a native of Venezuela, denied the claims in a statement given to DailyMail.com.
‘Let me be clear and unequivocal,’ Vizquel said. ‘I have never hit or been violent towards my wife, Blanca.’
He went on to admit that his own ‘infidelities’ put a strain on their marriage.
Retired Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel has been accused of domestic violence by his estranged wife, who says he was violent with her on several occasions both before and after they were married in 2014. The 36-year-old Blanca Vizquel told The Athletic that Omar abused her in 2011 and again in 2016. She claims she finally left him after an argument in August
Following the August dispute, Blanca told The Athletic, she drove ten hours with her Boston terrier from the couple’s Arizona home to a women’s shelter in Texas.
‘I made a decision to leave the house and not come back,’ Blanca told The Athletic. ‘I didn’t want to feel that feeling where you didn’t know if you’re gonna be safe.’
In response, she claims, Omar Vizquel took her name off their bank accounts and froze her credit cards, leaving her unemployed and without the ability to support herself.
Without going into specifics, Omar Vizquel described the couple’s issues like a typical divorce.
‘I don’t have anything to say,’ Vizquel told The Athletic last week. ‘This is a divorce and I know she’s really pissed off. There is a lot of things (being said) out there about things supposedly happening behind closed doors, you know. I don’t have anything to say about that, either. It’s just a divorce.’
Vizquel also denied hitting Blanca back in October, after she first accused him of domestic violence on Instagram.
‘No one deserves to have violence against them,’ she said in Spanish on October 7, while also accusing him of other forms of abuse.
‘Mr. Omar Vizquel was the abuser who abused me over 1,500 ways, in all ways, in all possible ways: physical, sexual, emotional, psychological. All aspects. ”
In 2016, Omar Vizquel was taken into custody by Seattle police after Bianca told officers he had pushed her during an argument, but later wrote a letter seeking to drop charges. She told The Athletic that her husband coerced her into signing the letter.
In the alleged 2011 incident, Omar Vizquel allegedly began to strangle his future wife, but both parties accepted blame and told police they did not want to pursue charges.
Vizquel (center) played with six teams over a 24-year career, most notably with the Indians (1994-2004). A career .272 hitter, the defensive wizard won 11 Gold Glove awards
He is currently being investigated in the matter by Major League Baseball, which reportedly has interviewed Blanca.
Vizquel throws to first base during the game 1 of a double header against the Boston Red Sox at Jacobs Field on Tuesday, July 21, 1998
According to The Athletic, Vizquel is also being investigated by MLB for an alleged incident that supposedly took place in 2019, when he served as manager of the Chicago White Sox’s Double-A affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama.
‘While Omar Vizquel has not been employed by a Major League organization for some time, we are aware of the allegations and will continue to look into them,’ MLB told The Athletic in a statement.
Vizquel isn’t currently working for a MLB team, but he could potentially face a suspension or fine if he were to be hired after league investigators found him to be at fault.
Vizquel played with six teams over a 24-year career, most notably with the Cleveland Indians (1994-2004). A career .272 hitter, he was best known for his defense and won 11 Gold Glove awards.
He retired following the 2012 season and is in his fourth year of eligibility for Hall of Fame voting. In 2020, he gained his highest vote total — 52.6 percent. Candidates must receive votes from 75 percent of selectors for enshrinement into Cooperstown.
Vizquel retired following the 2012 season and is in his fourth year of eligibility for Hall of Fame voting. In 2020, he gained his highest vote total — 52.6 percent
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