Former Royal fired from broadcast job for ‘inappropriate behavior and comments’

Former Royals catcher Gregg Zaun was fired from his job as an analyst on Sportsnet in Canada because of allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, the network said.

Zaun, who played for the Royals in the 2000-01 seasons, joined Sportsnet in 2011 after retiring from baseball. He is the latest in a wave of men who have been accused with inappropriate behavior in the workplace, starting with movie producer Harvey Weinstein in October. The list has included Charlie Rose, Jeffrey Tambor, Matt Lauer and many others.

Rick Brace, president of Rogers Media, released this statement Thursday:

“This week, we received complaints from multiple female employees at Sportsnet regarding inappropriate behavior and comments by Gregg Zaun in the workplace. After investigating the matter, we decided to terminate his contract, effective immediately. This type of behavior completely contradicts our standards and our core values. We believe in a professional workplace where all employees feel comfortable and respected. We are grateful to our employees who spoke with us and we will take every measure to protect their privacy.”

According to Sportsnet, there were no allegations of physical or sexual assault.

Zaun, 46, has worked as a studio analyst and pregame host for Blue Jays games. In 2015, he lashed out at late Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura for his tweets following a brouhaha in Toronto.

This story was originally published November 30, 2017 at 7:14 PM with the headline "Former Royal fired from broadcast job for ‘inappropriate behavior and comments’."