Houston Astros veteran right-hander Justin Verlander spoke with remorse about the sign-stealing scandal that dogged his team all winter.
Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander finally spoke publicly about his team’s infamous sign-stealing and cheating scandal. Speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Verlander expressed regret at not having put a stop to it sooner.
Justin Verlander: “I wish I had said more. Looking back, I can’t go back, I can’t reverse my decision. Like I said, I wish I had said more and for that, I’m sorry.” pic.twitter.com/JptPemq6Hs
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 13, 2020
Crazy as it sounds, Verlander’s take on the situation makes sense. Keep in mind, he came to the Astros via a late-August trade in 2017. Even though he was an established veteran, he was still the new guy in Houston.
Now, consider the fact that Justin Verlander is old school to a fault. This is the same man who thinks MLB’s current PED rules are too soft. In 2017, when still with the Detroit Tigers, he even once said sign-stealing in baseball had gone too far.
But as someone with that mentality, Verlander also may believe that what happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse. Moreover, the Houston Astros’ coaching staff arguably brought his career back from the dead. Since putting on a Houston uniform, Verlander has a 2.44 ERA, well above his career mark of 3.33.
Verlander also notched his 3,000th career strikeout with the Astros last year and took home his second AL Cy Young award.
But the real Justin Verlander seems to have finally come out and addressed the scandal, and the remorse seems sincere. He seems ready to move on from the scandal and focus on the 2020 season.
Hopefully, no further details on the Astros cheating come to light.
