Houston Astros owner apologizes to Sports Illustrated journalist

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane apologized to Sports Illustrated journalist Stephanie Apstein after the team trashed a story she wrote criticizing former Astros Assistant General Manager Brandon Taubman, Apstein said.

“We were wrong and I am sorry that we initially questioned your professionalism,” Crane said in a letter to Apstein that the journalist shared on Twitter.

After the Sports Illustrated story said Taubman had yelled at three women reporters during a post-game celebration of the team’s American League Championship Series win on October 19, Astros officials said the article was “misleading and completely irresponsible.”

“On behalf of the entire Astros organization, I want to personally apologize for the statement we issued on Monday October 21st,” the letter said.

Taubman later acknowleded that his remarks were inappropriate, and the team announced Thursday that the assistant general manager had been fired for the outburst.

Apstein’s article said Taubman’s remarks had to do with the team’s signing Roberto Osuna. The team got the relief pitcher from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, weeks after Major League Baseball gave him a 75-game suspension for violating its domestic violence policy.

Taubman turned to the women when he shouted, six times: “Thank god we got Osuna! I’m so f***ing glad we got Osuna!,” according to the article.

One of the women was wearing a domestic violence awareness bracelet, Sports Illustrated reported.

The franchise earlier this week apologized for its first reaction to the article, saying it wasn’t the team’s intention to minimize issues related to domestic violence.