Grady Sizemore Takes Legal Action After Racy Pictures Surface

Cleveland Indians star Grady Sizemore is taking legal action after photos of himself undressing appeared on various Web sites Sunday morning.

"These pictures were stolen illegally from my girlfriend's email," Sizemore told The Cleveland Plain Dealer on Sunday night. "It's now a legal matter that is under investigation. I can't say anything more."

Deadspin.com, one of that sites that posted the photos, was e-mailed a letter Sunday night by the MLB Department of Investigations on Sizemore's behalf.

The letter reads: "The photos posted in the article cited below are the property of Grady Sizemore. They were stolen from a personal computer. We've begun an investigation and request that you immediately remove Mr. Sizemore's property from the posting. We also ask that you preserve any records associated with its submission in anticipation of a criminal complaint to be filed with local law enforcement."

In the 15 photos, several of which were taken in a bathroom, Sizemore is shown alone posing in front of a cell phone camera. In some of the photos, Sizemore is either in his underwear or nude.

"I have not seen the pictures, but I will look into it," said Indians general manager Mark Shapiro.

On Monday, the Indians organization offered the following statement: "We fully support Grady as he deals with this personal matter. The posted photos were stolen from his girlfriend's email account and a legal investigation is underway."

Sizemore told the Plain Dealer that the pictures were meant for his girlfriend only. That girlfriend is Playboy playmate Brittany Binger, whose centerfold is hanging near the bathroom mirror in one of the posted photos.

Binger, who has been dating Sizemore since late 2008, has appeared on various TV shows such as CSI: New York, Deal or No Deal and The Girls Next Door with her friend Kendra Wilkinson.

Of course, this isn't the first time an athlete's racy photos have been leaked onto the net. In November 2007, NHL player Jiri Tlusty apologized after a nude cell phone pic of him appeared on a Canadian gossip site. "I used poor judgment in this instance and I have learned a valuable lesson," Tlusty said in his press release at the time. Given Sizemore's high profile, it's entirely possible he issues a mea culpa of his own at some point.

Sizemore, coming off an injury-riddled season where he hit a career-low .248, is considered the face of the Indians' franchise, with two Gold Gloves and three All-Star appearances to his name.

There's no way that MLB's investigative unit or Sizemore's lawyer will be able to erase all traces of the photos. But the whole embarrassing incident shouldn't hurt Sizemore's reputation at all, especially with Grady's Ladies, an entire female fanbase dedicated to their favorite player in the entire universe.