(Reuters) – Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said on Monday he has fired Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow after Major League Baseball suspended them following an investigation into a sign-stealing scandal.
Crane, speaking at a news conference shortly after MLB announced the penalties for the sign-stealing scheme during the Astros’ World Series-winning 2017 season, said that while Hinch and Luhnow did not endorse the plan neither did anything to stop it.
“I have higher standards for the city and the franchise and I’m going above and beyond MLB’s penalty,” Crane said in announcing that he was dismissing Luhnow and Hinch.
“We need to move forward with a clean slate and the Astros will become a stronger organization because of this today,” he added.
Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Bill Berkrot