The Angels and their former clubhouse employee have settled the defamation lawsuit filed against the club, reaching an agreement on the day the case was set to begin a trial.

Bubba Harkins, the longtime visiting clubhouse manager at Angel Stadium, reached a settlement with the Angels, according to Harkins’ attorney, Daniel Rasmussen. No further details on the settlement were available.

The suit was dismissed in January 2021, but that decision was overturned in February 2022.

Harkins was fired in March 2020 after an accusation that he was creating a sticky substance that pitchers were using to apply to the baseball to improve their grip, in violation of Major League Baseball rules.

Harkins sued the Angels, claiming they defamed him by suggesting that he was helping opposing players, thus hurting his own employer, and that he was providing “illegal” substances.

Harkins claimed the subsequent publicity damaged his ability to get another job in baseball.

Harkins spent 38 years working for the Angels in various capacities. As the visiting clubhouse manager, his job was to cater to the needs of Angels opponents when they were in town. He also worked with Angels players, particularly in spring training.

Harkins said it was a common practice throughout the sport to use sticky substances to improve grip on the baseball, even though it was against the rules.

Major League Baseball began cracking down on pitchers’ use of foreign substances in 2021.

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