Astros Assistant GM Allegedly Complained About Female Reporter Prior to His Outburst

This Houston Astros’ controversy is only getting worse. 

According to a recent report by NPR’s David Folkenflik, the team’s assistant general manager, Brandon Taubman, had previously complained about one of the female reporters he allegedly targeted during a locker room outburst. Sources claim the assistant GM had criticized the reporter last year when she tweeted out the number to domestic violence hotlines when pitcher Roberto Osuna appeared in Astros games. The reporter was also wearing a purple domestic-violence awareness bracelet during Taubman’s tirade Saturday, which occurred after Houston clinched the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

According to Sports Illustrated, Taubman began yelling at three female reporters inside the clubhouse following Saturday’s victory. At one point, he began shouting about Osuna, who was hit with a 75-game suspension last year for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. The Blue Jays traded Osuna to the Astros months after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting Alejandra Román Cota, who is also the mother of his child. The charges against Osuna were eventually dropped in exchange for a one-year peace bond.

“Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so fucking glad we got Osuna,” Taubman reportedly yelled at the three female reporters.

Per NPR:

According to three eyewitnesses interviewed by NPR, Taubman appeared to be responding to the presence of a female reporter who was wearing a purple rubber bracelet to heighten awareness about domestic violence.

That reporter has tweeted repeatedly about the issue over the years. Taubman complained last year that some of the reporter’s informational tweets — promoting domestic violence hotline telephone numbers, for example — appeared moments after Osuna entered several Astros games in relief.

Shortly after the SI report was published, the MLB released a statement suggesting Taubman’s actions had been mischaracterized. The league, however, reassured the public they would investigate the matter.

Taubman has since apologized for using “inappropriate language,” and claimed his exuberant support for Osuna was “misinterpreted as a demonstration of a regressive attitude about an important social issue.”