Astros' Bregman, Altuve apologize for sign-stealing scheme
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros players Alex Bregman and José Altuve said Thursday the team is sorry for its sign-stealing scheme that was investigated and punished by Major League Baseball.
“I am really sorry,” Bregman said.
Astros owner Jim Crane and new manager Dusty Baker — who replaced the fired AJ Hinch — also spoke at a news conference at the team’s spring training facility.
“We cannot take back what happened,” Crane said.
MLB did not punish any players for the cheating and Crane said he stood by that.
We’re not going to do anything to the players,” the owner said.
Altuve said there was a full team meeting Wednesday to discuss what happened.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Astros after he found the team broke rules by using electronics to steal signs during its run to the 2017 World Series championship and again in the 2018 season.
The Astros were fined $5 million, the maximum allowed under major league rulesion, and forfeited their next two first- and second-round amateur draft picks.
The investigation found that the Astros used the video feed from a center field camera to view and decode opposing catcher’s signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve chances of getting a hit.