The Shocking True Story Behind the Trade of a Legend!
by Susan Morales, The National Enquirer

June 21, 2013: CHARLESTON, WV – Everything you know about baseball legend George Riley is wrong.  His trade to Florida had nothing to do with baseball.  It had everything to do with sex, money and spurned love.  An interview with a personal friend of owner Tyler Babcock obtained by The National Enquirer reveals all in this exclusive report!

When Riley was injured early in 2011, general manager and team owner Tyler Babcock was devastated not because he lost his team’s best player but because he was worried about the health of his lover.  Riley and Babcock had been together in secret for years.  They became a couple at the 2009 All-Star game, when Babcock was spotted following Riley to his suite at the DoubleTree in Aurora after the Home Run Derby.

Riley’s injury sent Babcock into a spiraling depression.  He lashed out at Dale Mitchell, the runner who took out Riley in a dirty slide with sharpened spikes.  Babcock left Mitchell several drunken voicemails threatening violence, including several where he used racial slurs.  Mitchell blackmailed Riley, threatening to reveal the couple’s secret affair unless Riley paid off Mitchell to stay quiet.

Shortly thereafter, Babcock flew to New York to visit Riley where the famous shortstop was undergoing rehab from his knee surgery.  Riley was himself depressed at being forced off of the field and wanted to be alone.  It was during their visit that Riley told Babcock he knew about his threats to Mitchell.  Furious, Riley broke up with Babcock in his hospital room.  The general manager was escorted from the hospital in tears by security after he refused to leave Riley’s room.

Babcock, in a drunken rage, then drove to Mitchell’s empty apartment in Brooklyn and proceeded to break in and destroy the entire place.  He smashed in the big-screen TV and broke all of the windows.  He finished his alcoholic binge of destruction by pouring black paint all over the furniture and carpeting.  Unable to drive, he had to call and have a team employee drive him back to his personal jet.

Mitchell used this incident to begin demanding $100,000 hush payments from Babcock every week.  The owner agreed, begging Mitchell to stay quiet about the entire affair.  Riley refused to talk to his ex-lover as the season wore on, and Babcock slowly succumbed to an alcoholic depression so severe the assistant general manager Jane Pomfret took over control of the team.

When the off-season arrived, Babcock checked himself into rehab.  He declared himself finished with the Coal Sox, handing control over to Pomfret prior to the Winter Meetings.  Because of Mitchell’s continuing blackmail, he was forced to keep the team and use its profits to pay the bribes.  Desperate and looking for a way to escape the world of baseball, Babcock found the perfect outlet when he met congressman-elect Corey Palumbo in one of his rehab groups.  Palumbo offered Babcock a role in his Washington office, and Babcock accepted, now able to flee Charleston and live in D.C.

In November, Riley called Babcock and asked to go to dinner.  Ecstatic, Babcock thought Riley wanted to renew their torrid love.  Instead, Riley told Babcock that he hated the way things ended between them but wanted to move on with his life under good terms.  Babcock coolly agreed and left the restaurant.  Outside, he dialed Pomfret on his cell phone and ordered her to trade Riley.

The revelation of Babcock’s wild behavior is sure to cause earthquakes throughout the offices of the Coal Sox on to Congressman Palumbo.  Rely on the pages of The National Enquirer for the real story behind the headlines!