The Houston Astros fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman on Thursday and apologized to reporters for his behavior in the clubhouse Saturday night.
According to a story Monday by Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein, Taubman taunted three female reporters following the Astros’ pennant-clinching win against the New York Yankees.
Taubman shouted about Astros closer Robert Osuna, whom the team acquired last season while he was serving a 75-game ban for allegedly assaulting a woman. One of the reporters was wearing a purple bracelet for domestic violence awareness.
“Thank God we got Osuna!” he yelled, according to Apstein. “I’m so (expletive) glad we got Osuna!”
The Astros initially called Apstein’s story “misleading” and “irresponsible.”
Following interviews of media members and Astros employees conducted over the past several days by the team and by Major League Baseball, the team admitted its mistake.
“Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman’s inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter. We were wrong,” the team said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated and to all individuals who witnessed this incident or were offended by the inappropriate conduct. The Astros in no way intended to minimize the issues related to domestic violence.
“Our initial belief was based on witness statements about the incident. Subsequent interviews have revealed that Taubman’s inappropriate comments were, in fact, directed toward one or more reporters. Accordingly, we have terminated Brandon Taubman’s employment with the Houston Astros. His conduct does not reflect the values of our organization and we believe this is the most appropriate course of action.”
Later Thursday, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told reporters, “That original reaction by the Astros was wrong, and we own it as an organization. There were many people involved in reviewing that and approving that, and I’m not gonna get into the details of that. It was wrong; it was the Astros’ decision. And that’s where I’m gonna leave that.”
Luhnow refused to name a particular author of the initial statement and acknowledged he had seen it before its release. He also kept the door open for additional disciplinary actions related to the situation.
“The person that was responsible for making those inappropriate comments has been terminated from employment with the Astros,” he said. “And that’s the action that we’ve taken at this point. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future.”
Ultimately, though, Luhnow admitted the Astros were premature to dismiss Apstein’s story without doing their own investigation.
“I think when a story comes out that’s negative, you have two choices: You either respond immediately if you think it’s potentially not true, or you wait and figure out what the facts are and then respond,” he said. “And we made the wrong decision. We responded quickly, thinking that it was not true. And it turned out that was an incorrect way to go about it.”
Taubman, 34, had issued an apology Tuesday.
“This past Saturday, during our clubhouse celebration, I used inappropriate language for which I am deeply sorry and embarrassed,” he said in a statement.
“In retrospect, I realize that my comments were unprofessional and inappropriate. My overexuberance in support of a player has been misinterpreted as a demonstration of a regressive attitude about an important social issue. Those that know me know that I am a progressive and charitable member of the community, and a loving and committed husband and father.
“I hope that those who do not know me understand that the Sports Illustrated article does not reflect who I am or my values. I am sorry if anyone was offended by my actions.”
The Astros meanwhile have lost the first two games of the World Series to the Washington Nationals. Game 3 will be played Friday in Washington.