An Orange County Superior Court judge on Monday granted a motion by the Angels and Major League Baseball to dismiss a defamation complaint by Brian Harkins, the long-time visiting clubhouse manager who was fired last March after the Angels learned he was providing a blend of sticky substances to visiting pitchers to aid their grip of the baseball.
Daniel L. Rasmussen, an attorney representing Harkins, said he plans to appeal the ruling in the next 60 days.
“We’ll regroup, lick our wounds and move to the next level,” Rasmussen said early Monday evening.