dante bichette abuse

Dante Bichette Jr. says ex-Blue Jays staffer dad abused him as a child

The brother of Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette is alleging serious abuse at the hands of their father, Dante.

Dante Bichette Jr., son of the former major league player, took to Instagram to put both his father and a youth baseball event at the Cooperstown All Star Village in Cooperstown, New York, on blast.

"Cooperstown hired my dad to work with thousands of children. As a coach, my dad SEVERELY abused me as a child. Whether they knew about him before hiring him, I don't know," Bichette wrote in a series of Instagram stories.

"During MY youth baseball years, I was being beaten either during or after bad performances by my father. I watched him physically fight my coaches, other coaches, fans, and many umpires. It makes me sick to my stomach that Cooperstown has given him a platform to speak in front of children and potentially influence the kids, the parents, and the coaches. On a personal note, I'm absolutely dumbfounded by his acceptance of the role."

Dante Bichette Sr. served various coaching roles with the Blue Jays over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, with Bo having spent his entire professional career with the organization since being drafted by Toronto in 2016. Bichette Jr. was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2011 but last played professionally in 2020, having never made the major leagues.

"I think I tried to hide from everything a bit while I recovered, but now I work as a coach with kids every day. I help over 100 kids in any given week to find themselves as players and be confident in themselves as human beings. Many of the teams I work with are going to this exact event!!!! I'm pissed! And I'm seeing now how important it is to use my voice," Bichette Jr. added, stating that he was kicked out from the family seven years ago by his mother, Mariana.

"I watched her go from victim to abuser," Bichette Jr. said. "I've seen firsthand what happens if you continuously let bad people treat you poorly."

Bichette Jr., 31, is five years older than Bo, a two-time All-Star during his time with the Blue Jays.

Bichette Jr. also shared that Cooperstown All Star Village was deleting his and other comments about his father's alleged abuse.

"I've only opened up about this once before. So I know it's not common knowledge. But once you are informed, your next move says A LOT. Myself and a few others commented on Cooperstown's post, and they deleted my comment and disabled comments entirely for a while," Bichette added. "To me, this means they are willing to ignore it, they don't want baseball parents to know that they hired a child abuser to be around their kids."

Bichette Jr. was also asked if he felt empowered by speaking out, but he did not answer the question affirmatively.

"No actually. It makes me sad and only sad," he said. "The work I've done on myself combined with the love I've received from others has me feeling empowered enough to speak out. Realizing I am standing up for my inner child by standing up for these little kids is what really drives me. Seeing how much my kids are capable of when given unconditional love and encouragement is what makes me want to fight for them and their safety."

Cooperstown All-Star Village has been contacted for comment on Bichette Jr.'s allegations.

Lead photo by

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports


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