Crane said MLB had a bigger problem with sign-stealing than everybody realized when the scandal brokeGETTY IMAGES
Six months have passed since the Astros’ cheating scandal was exposed, and team Owner Jim Crane said that he is "not seeking sympathy," according to a Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. In his first expansive interview since the scandal became public, Crane said, "We’re sorry. We apologized. But no matter what happened, it wasn’t going to be enough. People wanted me out of baseball. They wanted players to be suspended. They wanted everything." He added, "We broke the rules. We got penalized. We were punished. There’s no doubt it weighs on all of us every single day." Crane said MLB had a "bigger problem than everybody realized." Crane: “Two other teams (the Yankees and Red Sox) were doing things and got caught, but we’re the ones who took the bullet. That’s the way it works. I’m not trying to blame anyone else. It was our problem. We dealt with it." Nightengale notes Crane "may be villain to most, but he has done some good during the pandemic." The Astros are one of the "few teams that didn't layoff or furlough any staff members, and they are paying minor leaguers for a season not played." The team's foundation also has "increased giving under Crane," spending more than $50M over the past nine years around the community (USA TODAY, 7/31).
