The Astros may have earned their way into the World Series, but comments made by their assistant general manager after their win over the New York Yankees earned a lot of contempt and outcries recently, which have resulted in him being fired. But the controversy started long before October 18, 2019, when Houston beat New York in the American League Championship Series.

History of Assault Charges

The Houston Astros have become a bit of a powerhouse baseball team in recent years. Two years ago they won the World Series, and they have won more than 100 games in just three seasons. Right before the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) trade deadline, they acquired Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Osuna is a closing pitcher and considered to be one of the best. When he joined the Astros, however, he was in the middle of a 75-game suspension for alleged domestic violence. To date, it is the third-longest suspension MLB has ever imposed on a player for violating the league's domestic violence policy.

Osuna was accused of assaulting the mother of his child in May 2018. Eventually, Canadian prosecutors dropped the domestic violence charges against Osuna because the mother and child had moved back to Mexico, and the mother refused to return to Canada to testify. Osuna agreed to a peace bond, which is the Canadian equivalent of a restraining order, for one year.

Osuna has repeatedly given thanks and credit to the Astros for giving him a second chance, but even some of his new teammates were not happy about him joining the franchise.

Clubhouse Outburst for Assault

Shortly after Osuna joined the Astros, the franchise promoted Brandon Taubman to be their assistant general manager. After Osuna helped the Astros win the final game against the Yankees on October 18th, players, executives, and reporters gathered in the team clubhouse for a celebration.

One of the female reporters in attendance was wearing a purple domestic violence bracelet, and Taubman spotted it. Taubman then began yelling toward the reporter, who was standing with two other women, “Thank God we got Osuna!” He repeated this several times, often with an expletive.

Aftermath of Assault Accusation

When one of the women reporters whom Taubman yelled at decided to break the story of the clubhouse outburst, Taubman and the Astros first vigorously denied that he had directed his yelling at the women. That only made matters worse, as more witnesses came forward to verify what had actually happened. On Wednesday, October 23rd, the Astros fired Taubman. He had lied about his intent. He and the Astros have since apologized for his behavior, but Taubman is now out of a job and may face an MLB suspension.

Domestic Violence Attorney Steve Karimi

Being accused of domestic violence can seriously affect your life. If you are facing domestic violence charges, you need a former-prosecutor-turned-defense attorney to build a case defending your rights. Call the Law Offices of Steve Karimi today at 206-621-8777 or fill out an online contact form.