Derek Norris' ex-fiancée details abuse after he denies allegations
More details have emerged regarding the abuse allegations against Tampa Bay Rays catcher Derek Norris. Norris’ ex-fiancée, Kristen Eck, wrote a blog post describing the specific ways in which she was abused by Norris after the catcher denied the initial allegations.
Eck wrote that Norris put her in a “choke hold,” and grabbed her by her hair and arms in October 2015. According to the post, Eck caught Norris talking to another woman on the phone. After Eck took Norris’ phone, he placed her in a “choke hold.” Eck says Norris had been drinking that night.
Major League Baseball is investigating Norris after an Instagram post in which Eck says she was “physically and emotionally abused” while the two were in a relationship. While Eck did not mention Norris by name in the Instagram post, the two were involved at the time.
Eck decided to go public with the details of the incident after Norris told the Tampa Bay Times the allegations “couldn’t be further from the truth.” His full statement read:
“First, I want to be absolutely clear that abuse of any form, is completely unacceptable. Allegations regarding this issue are a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. That being said, in this circumstance, the comments made by my ex-fiancee could not be further from the truth. I have NEVER been physically or emotionally abusive towards her, or anyone else in my life.
“I plan to go above and beyond to assist MLB with their investigation into this matter.”
Norris told the Tampa Bay Times he will have no further comment on the situation.
The Rays plan to keep Norris on the active roster while MLB conducts its investigation. He’s in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
Eck told the Tampa Bay Times she has no plans to pursue criminal charges, but will cooperate with the league. Commissioner Rob Manfred can still punish Norris under the revamped domestic violence policy. Manfred can act if the league determines a suspension is warranted, even in situations where no charges were filed.
New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia received a 15-game suspension following a domestic dispute with his wife during the offseason. Charges were dropped, but Manfred still suspended the pitcher. The commissioner has handed out punishments to both Jose Reyes and Aroldis Chapman in similar situations. Neither Reyes nor Chapman were brought up on charges, but still received suspensions from the league.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
