New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman dismissed recent comments by Houston Astros owner Jim Crane about the sign-stealing scandal that plagued that second team years ago.
Speaking to reporters before New York played Game 1 of a series against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, Cashman said Crane was trying to “deviate” from the main topic in his remarks and “perhaps tried to compare the equivalent to a fine for parking improperly with conviction for 162 felony offenses.”
Major League Baseball punished Houston after determining the Astros used electronic devices to steal signs. The cheating was committed during the 2017 season, when the Astros won the World Series.
The irregular procedure began in 2017 and continued during the 2018 season, according to the investigation.
Houston eliminated New York five years ago in the American League Championship Series. Cashman called the Astros’ actions “illegal and horrible” during a March interview with The Athletic.
The Yankees were fined $100,000 by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for using the phone in his cave to relay information about opponent signals during the 2015 season and part of the 2016 season.
That punishment was revealed last month, when a letter was made public after a federal appeals court ordered its release as part of a fan lawsuit, which was thrown out.
In an interview with USA Today, Crane called Cashman’s comments “extremely strange.”
“There’s the letter, and you guys did this too,” Crane said. “You were there, friend. What are you talking about?
“If I were one of these teams and I knew ours had cheated, I would keep my mouth shut and just get on with it. But listen, I can only control what happens here, not what others do.”
Cashman said no one should believe what Crane said. He claimed there was a big difference in punishment for Houston and New York.
The Astros were fined $5 million and lost multiple picks in the amateur draft. Manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow ended up losing their jobs.