Astros owner’s response to Yankees’ Brian Cashman is hogwash

For a moment there, many of us thought this was over. The New York Yankees “letter” was unsealed, revealing nothing, and further put the onus (again!) on the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox — two teams whose infractions went far beyond anybody else’s based on the league’s investigation.

Before the infamous letter broke the hearts of all the haters, though, general manager Brian Cashman had some embarrassing comments about the Astros’ cheating that New York fans really wish never made it to the media.

To summarize, Cashman decided to lament about the Astros affecting his legacy and robbing the Yankees of a potential World Series victory FIVE years later (why??) and unnecessarily used it as an excuse after the Bombers faltered in dramatic fashion last season.

In similar late fashion, Astros owner Jim Crane decided to respond to Cashman’s six-week-old comments this week … and this subject just will not go to bed. Make it stop.

To make matters worse, to no surprise, Crane’s comments were extremely dumb and misinformed. You don’t say?! The folks in Houston have been totally rational about the fallout from their cheating scandal, right?

The owner whose team got a slap on the wrist and a championship as a result of their transgressions still feels the need to say nonsense like this? Oh wait … this is the guy who also said the sign-stealing scandal “didn’t impact the game”? OK, so this does make sense then.

Astros owner Jim Crane calls out Yankees GM Brian Cashman over cheating

Here’s what Crane told Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports:

"“I found his comments to be extremely strange. There’s the letter, and you were doing it, too. You were there, dude. What are you talking about?“If I was one of the teams, and I knew our team was doing it, I’d keep my mouth shut and just go about our business. But listen, I can only control what’s going on here. I can’t control what the other guys do.”"

It’s unclear how many more times this needs to be said, but the Yankees’ cheating was not the same as the Astros’, and it’s irresponsible to assume just because it was “cheating” that it’s all equal. It’s not. The Yankees bent the rules, got reprimanded and fined by the league, and stopped the behavior.

Also … Crane says he’d keep his mouth shut? He contributed to the disingenuous discourse that attempted to deflect the blame and lessen the magnitude of the infractions committed. His team was the main offender and he hasn’t kept his mouth shut.

Crane could’ve stayed silent and made Cashman look like a whiner without moving a muscle. Now the ball’s back in his court, and the game of hot potato as it relates to laughable commentary regarding a subject everyone would prefer go away continues.

Brian Cashman’s new 2017 cheating comments come off so embarrassing

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman really wants you to focus on the one World Series he was robbed of instead of the 20 he botched.