"I don't think I should be held accountable" - When Astros owner Jim Crane refused to admit playing any part in sign-stealing scandal

The Houston Astros have become one of the most polarizing franchises in MLB history because of their now-infamous 2017 sign-stealing scandal. In arguably the biggest MLB news story since the Steroid Era, Houston's cheating scandal not only rocked the baseball world but also tarnished the reputation of the scrappy team and its superstars.

Although the original incident happened in 2017, news of the cheating scandal did not emerge until 2019, which is why some fans remain hostile toward the Houston Astros. Even though the team received its fair share of criticism during the scandal from the media, other MLB executives, and fans, there was one member of the organization who continued to claim his innocence in the scandal.

Owner Jim Crane refused to take any blame for the 2017 sign-stealing scandal, claiming that he had no involvement in the situation. During a 2020 press conference at Houston's Spring Training facility, he apologized for the entire sign-stealing but maintained his innocence.

"News: On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting to Houston Astros camp, the entire roster has gathered in Florida and expects to meet Wednesday with owner Jim Crane to discuss how the team will publicly address the sign-stealing scandal. Story at ESPN" - @JeffPassan

“No, I don’t think I should be held accountable,” Jim Crane said when asked about the sign-stealing scandal. “I want to also repeat that this will never happen again on my watch.”

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Jim Crane fired multiple Houston Astros staff members as a result of the investigation

There were a number of players on the Houston roster, including Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, who went unpunished. The two "victims" of the sign-stealing scandal were then-general manager Jeff Luhnow and then-manager AJ Hinch. The pair were fired by owner Jim Crane and replaced with Dusty Baker and James Click.

"Jeff Luhnow was rightfully terminated. He turned a blind eye to some horrid things outside of baseball due to him reducing everything to numbers. Glad he’s not in the game. I also don’t think he’s atoned for anything, so good riddance." - @ccimack

Even though the players avoided any suspension, it will be interesting to see what happens to some of the players involved in the scandal when it comes to the Hall of Fame voting. Will the likes of Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and George Springer see any potential impact if they find themselves on a Hall of Fame ballot? Only time will tell.