ESPN’s Miller Arrested for Public Indecency

Another sports announcer wound up on the police blotter Saturday when Gary Miller, who was covering the Oriole-Indian series for ESPN, was arrested and charged with urinating out the window of a Cleveland nightclub onto off-duty police officers.

Miller, 40, of Branford, Conn., was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. at The Basement, a popular dance club in Cleveland’s Flats neighborhood. He was charged with public indecency, aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, police Sgt. Mark Hastings told the Associated Press.

Police confiscated what was described as “drug paraphernalia” and were testing residue before issuing further charges, Hastings said. Miller, a host for ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight,” was released Saturday afternoon pending the outcome of tests.

ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said Miller went back to Connecticut to meet with network officials. “We have spoken briefly to Gary, whose view of what took place differs from what has been reported,” Soltys said. “We have no further comment at this time.”

Hastings said Miller was seen urinating out an upstairs window at The Basement. Two officers went inside and tried to arrest Miller, with the help of several uniformed police, Hastings said. Miller resisted, but no one threw any punches.

Hastings said the city prosecutor’s office would be notified when tests on the instrument taken from Miller were completed. The drug charge could be a felony.

Miller’s arrest comes weeks after network sports announcer Marv Albert’s highly publicized felony sodomy trial. Albert, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, was fired by NBC and the Madison Square Garden Network.