The Houston Astros have fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman and issued an apology to Sports Illustrated reporter Stephanie Apstein on Friday.
Houston announced in a statement that it concluded its investigation into Taubman’s inappropriate comments toward multiple female reporters. In the statement, the team announced it terminated his employment and his behavior does not reflect the organization’s values.
The organization also apologized to Apstein and Sports Illustrated after it originally called her story “misleading and completely irresponsible.” In the statement released on Friday, Houston said its initial investigation led it to believe Taubman’s comments weren’t directed towards any reporter.
Houston came under intense fire for Taubman’s comments, including from Astros’ skipper A.J. Hinch. Now, days after the incident and the further scrutiny from their first statement on Monday night, the Astros finally made the right decision and issued an overdue apology.