The Houston Astros have fired assistant GM Brandon Taubman days after he made inappropriate comments toward female reporters.
Following the Astros’ dramatic victory over the New York Yankees to clinch the American League pennant and a berth in the World Series on Saturday night, Sports Illustrated reported that in the locker room following the win, Taubman turned to a group of female reporters and repeatedly yelled to them, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f—ing glad we got Osuna!” referring to Astros closer Roberto Osuna. The reliever had previously been suspended for 75 games in violation of Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy after being accused of assaulting the mother of his child in 2018.
“Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman’s inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter,” the Astros said in Thursday’s statement. “We were wrong. 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.
“We are thankful to Major League Baseball and to everyone that cooperated in the investigation,” the statement continued. “As previously stated, the Astros are very committed to using our voice to create awareness and support on the issue of domestic violence. We fully support MLB and baseball’s stance and values regarding domestic violence. We will continue to make this cause a priority for our organization.”
In its initial statement, the Astros had accused Sports Illustrated and its reporter, Stephanie Apstein, of “fabricating” and giving “misleading” information about the incident and defended Taubman, despite multiple reporters corroborating the incident. On Tuesday, MLB stepped in to conduct its own investigation of the incident, before eventually firing Taubman on Thursday.
World Series 2019: Stars Rooting for the Houston Astros, From Kate Upton to Matthew McConaughey (Photos)
Hollywood's Houston Astros fans were more than happy to gloat in their 2017 World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA's many famous fans. And now that Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Jose Altuve have led the team to their second World Series in three years, they're looking to the stars again for another title. Some Texas-born hometown heroes like Matthew McConaughey and Jim Parsons are just a few of the fans hoping the 'Stros can end the hot streak of their opponents the Washington Nationals.
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Kate Upton
Kate Upton knows the Houston Astros intimately, as she's married to the team's ace, starting pitcher Justin Verlander.
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Jim Parsons
The "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons was born in Houston and told Ellen DeGeneres in 2017 that he was thrilled to see the excitement around the team and the city in the wake of the hurricane that hit the state that year. But he also feels close to the team after learning that he has the same fitness trainer as Justin Verlander.
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James Harden
The Houston Rockets star James Harden supports Houston's other local teams and has been known to frequent Astros games when he's not on the court.
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Matthew McConaughey
A Texas legend, Matthew McConaughey is actually a huge Washington Redskins fan, but he keeps it close to home when rooting for baseball teams.
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Richard Linklater
Another Texas diehard, director Richard Linklater set a brief scene in his film "Boyhood" at a Houston Astros game and is a lifelong baseball fan.
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Rico Rodriguez
Rico Rodriguez stayed true to his Houston Astros in 2017 even as much of the rest of his cast on "Modern Family" bled Dodger Blue.
Dan Rather is also born and raised in Houston, and in 2017, the legendary journalist posted a lengthy and personal Facebook post that showed how ecstatic he was for his team.
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Ted Cruz
With so much time spent in D.C., Congress is loaded with Washington Nationals fans, but Ted Cruz will be breaking from party in this regard, as the Texas senator is a big fan of the team. Over the weekend he even took a video of his daughter hitting a home run in a little league game after saying she was up late watching Jose Altuve's ninth inning, game-winning blast in Game 6.
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Dennis Quaid
Actor Dennis Quaid played baseball growing up as a kid in Houston, and he's followed the team his whole life. A few years back he even narrated a documentary on Jose Altuve.
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Simone Biles
Gold medalist Simone Biles made headlines when in 2016 she threw out the first pitch at an Astros game and did so with some flair, performing a front flip off the mound before throwing her strike.
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Jim Parsons, Rico Rodriguez and Travis Scott are all hoping the ‘Stros take down the Washington Nationals
Hollywood's Houston Astros fans were more than happy to gloat in their 2017 World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA's many famous fans. And now that Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Jose Altuve have led the team to their second World Series in three years, they're looking to the stars again for another title. Some Texas-born hometown heroes like Matthew McConaughey and Jim Parsons are just a few of the fans hoping the 'Stros can end the hot streak of their opponents the Washington Nationals.