Houston Astros owner Jim Crane faced intense criticism after Major League Baseball concluded that the Astros had illegally used a center-field camera and a trash-can banging system to steal opposing catchers’ signs during the club’s 2017 World Series championship season. Following a months-long investigation, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced in January 2020 that the organization had violated league rules. The Astros were fined the maximum $5 million, forfeited their first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and 2021, and manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were each suspended for one year before Crane dismissed them from the organization.
During a nationally televised press conference on February 13, 2020, Crane apologized to fans and Major League Baseball, acknowledged that the organization had broken the rules, and pledged that similar conduct would never happen again. However, much of the goodwill generated by his apology was quickly overshadowed when he repeatedly argued that, in his opinion, the sign-stealing scheme “didn’t impact the game.” Reporters immediately challenged the apparent contradiction between apologizing for cheating while simultaneously minimizing its competitive effect. Crane then appeared to reverse himself moments later by saying he had not claimed the scandal had no impact. The exchange became one of the defining moments of the Astros’ public response and was widely criticized by journalists, players, and fans as undermining the sincerity of the organization’s apology. Although Crane implemented organizational changes—including hiring veteran manager Dusty Baker to help rebuild the club’s credibility—the Astros’ handling of the scandal remains one of the most studied examples of crisis communication in modern professional sports.
Excerpt from Jim Crane’s February 13, 2020 press conference:
Reporter: Do you believe that the Astros should still retain the 2017 pennant, you know, despite the way that the team cheated?
Jim Crane: Listen, the commissioner made it clear that he was not going to go backwards. The championship will stay intact, and I agree with that.
Reporter: What do you have to say to the Yankees and teams that you beat in ’17?
Jim Crane: Listen, the Yankees have had a few comments out there. You know, our opinion is, you know, that this didn’t impact the game. We had a good team. We won the World Series, and we’ll leave it at that.
Reporter: This was not a scheme that was done one day or one time. It was done hundreds and hundreds of times, and there was an attempt to do it in the 2018 season, which suggests that you guys believed it was working at a very high level. Doesn’t that suggest you impacted lots and lots of games and, if you impacted lots and lots of games, won a championship because of it?
Jim Crane: It’s a fair question. I’ve stated, you know, where the commissioner stands on this. I’ve stated where I stand on this. Your question—you can make that assumption. Very clearly, everyone can make that assumption. To determine the effect and the cause, in my opinion, it’s almost impossible. We’ve dealt with it. We’ve said we’re sorry. We’re moving forward, and we’re going to play some baseball this year.
Kerry Sanders: Is it cheating?
Jim Crane: We broke the rules, and you can phrase that any way you want.
Kerry Sanders: Do you use the word “cheating”? Was this cheating?
