And they got it,” Luhnow stated. I was busy preparing for the World Series,” he stated.” It would depend on the owners,” Luhnow said. “I was not anticipating to be dealt with the way I was treated at the end by the owners of the Astros. If I trusted the owners and the group had potential, and I wanted to do it again, I know I could.”.
Previous Houston Astros basic supervisor Jeff Luhnow feels he was unfairly targeted as a scapegoat in the sign-stealing scandal that raised concerns about the legitimacy of the Astros 2017 World Series title and eventually cost him his task..
If he had understood about it, Luhnow said, he would have attempted to shut down the system in which video specialists took opposing groups signs and communicated them to Astros coaches and gamers on the field.
” It was bad. Our group broke the guidelines.
” But, unfortunately, had I understood about it, I would have stopped it. Nobody concerned me and told me it was going on, and I simply didnt know.”.
Luhnow stated he cooperated totally with a three-month MLB investigation into the allegations and was “surprised” when he was linked in the scandal. He said he even told MLB commissioner Rob Manfred he would be prepared to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence.
In releasing his findings, Manfred suspended Luhnow and Astros supervisor A.J. Hinch for a year. The team fired both later on in the day..
” I was not anticipating a year-long suspension, I was definitely not anticipating for the team I spent eight years developing to fire me and let me go,” he stated.
Well be back: The Astros, the group America enjoyed to hate, combated to the end in the ALCS.
How did MLB pull off the World Series?: I didnt believe there was any way.
In the end, Luhnow stated he felt MLB wasnt as concerned about discovering the fact as it was providing ” a penalty that was viewed as serious” by the other 29 clubs..
” I know the Dodgers, for sure, were determined about some huge penalties. And they wanted the supervisor, and they desired the general supervisor to go down in this scandal. And they got it,” Luhnow said. “And I think the examination was not trying to truly discover who did what, and who was really responsible. The goal of the examination was to provide punishments that Rob could feel good about which would relax the panic.”.
Later in the 37-minute interview, Luhnow was inquired about the incident throughout the 2019 playoffs in which a group staff member was overheard making insensitive remarks towards a group of ladies press reporters..
The Astros fired assistant GM Brandon Taubman, however not before issuing a statement calling the allegations “entirely reckless and deceptive.” Luhnow placed the blame on two members of the Astros legal and PR teams for putting out the declaration, and stated he was required to “take one for the team” when he had to stroll that declaration back in public.
I was hectic preparing for the World Series,” he said. “There are people in the business; the legal department, the marketing department, the PR department; those are the individuals that are included in crisis management.
In spite of being no longer associated with the Astros, Luhnow stated he still roots for the group to be successful. He also said he wouldnt mind returning into baseball when his suspension ends– under certain conditions..
” It would depend upon the owners,” Luhnow stated. “I was not expecting to be treated the way I was treated at the end by the owners of the Astros. If I trusted the owners and the group had potential, and I wished to do it again, I understand I could.”.
Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner.
