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Verlander gets big laughs at BBWAA banquet for joking about scandal

Mike Stobe / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Astros right-hander Justin Verlander got some big laughs at the Baseball Writers' Association of America's awards banquet in New York on Saturday night for referencing Houston's sign-stealing scandal.

However, not everyone was amused by the one-liner as a clip of the speech started circulating.

Recently retired New York Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia was also present, and he was apparently unimpressed by Verlander's supposed attempt at humor.

The 36-year-old Verlander was on hand to accept his AL Cy Young and was introduced by former teammate Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel, who played seven seasons in Houston and is now with the Chicago White Sox, was the first member of the 2017 Astros to publicly apologize for the sign-stealing scheme.

Verlander - who's had a tumultuous relationship with the press - has long been one of baseball's most vocal players when it comes to impropriety, cheating, and things generally being amiss. This past summer, he was critical of the balls being used by MLB for being juiced. The Astros also blocked Detroit Free Press reporter Anthony Fenech from postgame interviews in August on Verlander's behalf.

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