Something to keep in mind. That article is 10 years old. Woodfork isn't terrible, but also would no longer be considered cutting edge or ahead of the curve. He is a Harvard graduate, well versed on the CBA and things like the rules of the game and umpire rules and punishments. He is someone that would know EXACTLY what the commissioner would expect from a GM and an organization. He is very much "the man".
Sure... if you honestly want to believe the absolute worst case scenario is going to happen, run with it. The forward thinking GM and manager didn’t put a stop to actions they knew to be illegal and wrong. They also were guys (at least the GM) who was handpicked by the current owner. Crane is going to do whatever he can to both maintain his ownership status... and put out a quality product on the field. It’s his team. I don’t believe he’s looking to perfect mediocrity... nothing about his ownership tenure suggests that.
A text I got: "He is a dick. He is so far up Manfred's ass that you don't know where Pete's lips end and the commissioner's ******* begins. Have fun boys!"
Well, that's not at all terrifying. It was good while it lasted. The team currently on the field should be great, but I fully expect we head back into the pack of "other franchises" in short order. Hopefully Crane is just playing the game temporarily and will desire greatness in short order once the heat dies down, but I'm not holding my breath. The next decade is gonna be rough in this town.
No argument, but the guy doesn't appear to be a blumbering stooge - he's at least got a brain on his shoulders. If this is the guy, then just get it done and move on. He's not dumb and might have the capacity to understand the systems that are in place before he tears them down.
This is total bullshit. MLB forcing an owner-who is just taking it-to essentially be a league ran team. These candidates won’t care about the success of the Astros only the cover up and fall guy for a league wide epidemic. **** Manfred, **** Crane and **** the MLB at this point.
I don't see any reason why he wouldn't go back to 100% desiring greatness once the heat dies down. Before any of the scandal(s) began within the past 6 months or so it was widely accepted that Crane was all about chasing greatness. He's the one that hired Luhnow. He approved big financial moves like taking on chunks of JV's and Greinke's salaries. He was willing, year after year, to let the payroll increase if it meant sustaining a legitimate contender. Will there come a time where we need to "tear it down" with a rebuild of sorts (nothing like what happened at the beginning of the last decade)? Probably. But I don't think there's any reason to doubt Crane's dedication to a great baseball team once the heat dies down from all this crap. Also, there's no reason to think that Woodfork is automatically our next GM just because he's being interviewed. If he does become the GM, he's a legit hire. Do I love the fact that he's so buddy buddy with the commish? No. But I get why the MLB and Crane would prefer a competent GM who's also got a lot of experience with the commish. The biggest key to long-term success is going to be successful mid-round picks, and hitting on at least a couple international prospects the next couple years. We need to be willing to spend with the big boys in regards to international money.
Dusty is antiquated-period. He’s as dry and rigid as his name. Success in baseball now is by innovation not solely relying on “gut feelings” and tried and true methods. Woodfork is a yes man to the league, which essentially makes Crane a yes man as well. On the plus side, in 5 years when this all time great collection of talent is gone and the money dries up Crane might be forced to sell
I'm responding to why I don't like this particular hire long-term, so yes, I am telling you why I don't like it, and what I think the result is going to be. Going back to the old-school hire because our owner is spineless and is doing whatever MLB wants him to do is enough cause for me to want him to sell the team. He can cater to MLB all he wants to keep his team, but I and other fans of our team should call him out on it. It is his team, and it's my team as a fan, and as a fan, I'll be happy to try and run Crane out town.
You guys have totally forgotten how Crane acquired the Astros. He bent over to MLB when they forced us to the AL. How in the hell do you expect anything different again? Crane is and always will be a company man
So besides selling the team, what do you think he should do? When this current window of opportunity closes, yes... they will be better served by a forward thinking GM (one of which we have no idea who its going to be), but I’ll hold off on presuming that Crane is going to order a bunch of Carlos Lee signings, trades for Tejada, and refuse to sign draft picks due to slot money. And please tell me the last time fans ran an owner out of town.
Of course he did what was required to become a team owner... there was no “choice” in the matter. He was not going to be approved as the owner unless he accepted the deal... as would have been the case with any other owner besides Drayton.
Does anyone know if Hinch is eligible to be re-hired next season or does he have to sit out a year when hired because he was fired?
