This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
Published on October 25, 2019, the Houston Astros have taken swift action against assistant general manager Brandon Taubman, firing him after he made inappropriate comments towards female reporters in the clubhouse.
The incident occurred on Saturday night after the team's American League Championship Series-clinching win over the Yankees. According to a Sports Illustrated article, Taubman yelled 'Thank God we got Osuna' at a group of female reporters, referring to Roberto Osuna, a relief pitcher for the Astros who was acquired last season as he was serving a 75-game suspension over accusations of domestic violence.
Initially, the team defended Taubman, claiming he was supporting a player during an interview and referring to the Sports Illustrated report as a 'fabrication.' However, after assisting Major League Baseball in its investigation of the episode, the team reversed course and apologized to the women Taubman made the comments towards, as well as to the reporter who made those comments public.
General Manager Jeff Luhnow had previously cast doubt on whether the true intent of Taubman's comments would ever be known, stating, 'What we really don’t know is the intent behind the inappropriate comments he made. We may never know that because the person who said them and the people who heard them, at least up to this point, have different perspectives.'
Major League Baseball has been conducting its own investigation into the incident, with Commissioner Rob Manfred addressing the situation before Game 2, saying he was 'really concerned.'
