Astros Owner Jim Crane Calls Mike Bolsinger's Lawsuit a 'Publicity Stunt'

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane doesn't think much of the lawsuit filed against him by former MLB pitcher Mike Bolsinger.

Crane and business partner Derek Vigoa argued it's just a "publicity-seeking" case in a California state court motion last week, via Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic:

"His lawsuit is, from all appearances, a publicity stunt filed in California (replete with irrelevant references to the 2017 World Series contest between the Dodgers and Astros, in which Plaintiff did not even play) designed to garner national media attention. Plaintiff’s decision to file this lawsuit in Los Angeles, a jurisdiction unrelated to any of the alleged interactions between Plaintiff and Defendants, underscores that Plaintiff’s lawsuit is a publicity stunt."

After an MLB investigation determined the Astros used illegal technology to steal signs from opposing pitchers, Bolsinger filed a lawsuit in February accusing Houston of "unfair business practices, negligence and intentional interference with contractual and economic relations."

Per Nancy Armour of USA Today, the pitcher believes the team changed the course of his career by cheating.

Bolsinger's final MLB appearance came against the Astros on Aug. 4, 2017, resulting in four runs allowed in just 0.1 innings.

"I don't know if I've had a worse outing in my professional career," he said in February. "I remember saying, 'It was like they knew what I was throwing. They're laying off pitches they weren't laying off before. It's like they knew what was coming.' That was the thought in my head."

He was demoted to Triple-A after the game and never returned to the majors, spending his next two seasons in Japan.

Bolsinger is now seeking unspecified damages and wants the Astros to return the $31 million in bonuses won from the 2017 World Series title. However, the team's owners don't believe the lawsuit has any merit.

"Similar publicity-seeking lawsuits related to high-profile sporting events with virtually no chance of success on the merits are common," Crane and Vigoa argued. "The lawsuits garner national media attention for the plaintiff and his attorney before being dismissed as meritless and contrary to public policy."

The Astros are also facing lawsuits from former general manager Jeff Luhnow as well as season-ticket holders and daily fantasy sports contestants stemming from the sign-stealing scandal.