TRAUMA TESTS FANDOM
Victims of domestic and sexual abuse grapple with Osuna case and its handling by Astros
Amy, a domestic abuse victim, was quick to let me know that she still loves the Astros. The 32-year-old fumbled through her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
It was her ticket to Game 5 of the World Series last season.
“My prized possession,” she said with a grin.
Amy and five other women sat at a round table in a conference room of an office building in Houston.
They meet there once a week. It’s a support group for domestic and sexual abuse victims. Sometimes there are more than six attendees, sometimes fewer. All six of these women live in Houston. Five say they are sports fans.
The Houston Chronicle does not identify victims of domestic or sexual assault. These women invited me to visit them last week to talk about their own personal stories and about the headlines in the sports world. They were all fine with me using their first names and ages. A few agreed to share some personal info as well. They were gracious enough to share their thoughts and opinions on a few topics.
I’ve written about the topic of domestic and sexual abuse in sports for a few years now. Every time I do, plenty of readers tell me to “stick to sports” or that these stories belong in a different section.
But as long as these issues exist in sports, they are part of the narrative and need to be told.
When the Astros traded for Roberto Osuna, general manager Jeff Luhnow said the move could encourage us to have an important dialogue about domestic violence.
Since then, Luhnow and Osuna haven’t discussed domestic violence openly. (The Astros Foundation has engaged in private meetings with several women’s groups.) Osuna said he won’t answer further questions about his case.
“People don’t want to think of these guys like that, that they aren’t these great guys that are winning the World Series and making H-E-B commercials” Amy said. “I don’t like to think about it at all. I love the Astros more than anyone, and I have struggled with them the last month or so.”
The Astros’ trade for Osuna made waves in the baseball world. Osuna had just served a 75-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy after being charged with assault in Toronto. He didn’t fight the punishment.
On Tuesday, he had his day in court in Canada. The domestic assault charge was withdrawn after Osuna entered a peace bond, which is essentially a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the alleged victim without her written consent for one year and mandating he continue counseling.
“Now everyone thinks he’s innocent,” Jenni, 38, said. “They see ‘charges withdrawn’ or ‘settled’ or ‘dropped’ and they think the girl probably lied.”
Jenni takes a sip of coffee from a Starbucks cup. She’s clearly thinking hard before she says more.
“Did people think that about you?” I asked her.
“Yeah, they still do,” she said. “I feel for that pitcher’s girlfriend. She’s going to hear it from all these Astros fans, too. I only had to hear it from some friends and family members. It’s going to be tough on her.”
“That pitcher’s girlfriend” she is referring to is the alleged victim of Osuna. We don’t actually know if she is or was his girlfriend at the time of the assault or if she is now. She is the mother of Osuna’s 3-year old son and has expressed the desire to continue to coparent with him.
Amy lets out a little laugh. She understood this sentiment.
Amy has three children with a man who repeatedly hit her. She ended up in the hospital twice. She finally left him and got a restraining order at one point. The two have worked out an agreement so he can still see his children. “He’s their father,” she said. Amy went back to him repeatedly after the abuse. “Why?” I asked her. “Because it seemed like I should,” she said. “I wondered if it was my fault. I wondered how I could handle my children financially. I wondered if this man I truly did love could really change.”
“We’ve all been there,” Shayna, 29, said. “We all hope they can change.”
Three of the women in the room follow the Astros close enough to know the few details that have emerged about Osuna’s case.
“MLB knows something,” Jenni said. “They made him miss 75 games. That means something.”
Jenni asked me about the recent NBA investigation into the Dallas Mavericks organization.
“Will MLB release their investigation, too?” she asked, hopeful.
I told her that I don’t think we will ever know much more.
Amy is ready for the playoffs. She is hoping to take her kids to a game.
“How will you feel when Osuna pitches?” I asked her.
“There are triggers,” she said. “I will try not to think about it, but sometimes I can’t help it. I don’t want him to ruin the Astros for me. He’s not worth it.
“But if I can’t take it, I guess I will leave the game. I don’t know. I just really wish my team hadn’t put us in this position. I’m not the only one. I guess I just hope the Astros keep to their word and do some good. Donate money, volunteer. Speak up for us at some point. I love the Astros, but so far, I don’t feel like they’ve done enough.”