I saw him walking around the concourse during the All-Star festivities at MMP in 2005. Seeing him in person, he looked SO old and frail. I think it's a minor miracle he is still with us.
it's a culmination of things. gammons used to blast the astros for tanking to acquire top draft picks. he's a bosox fan who does not understand most teams can't spend $200+ million a year on salary. Example: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If I'm an ALE or ALC owner, Houston's plan to have no payroll, lose,get the 1-2 pick 4 years in a row and still steal revenue-sharing $--</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/status/314163082979069952">March 19, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>may guarantee 3 teams in the AL West win 90 games and make the playoffs, and spit on the integrity of the sport. Fellow big market teams who</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/status/314163549859610624">March 19, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>have payrolls under $40M should 1.not get revenue-sharing and 2. be out of the protected pick business. Rewarding trying to lose is wrong</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/status/314163991352078336">March 19, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Astros are still the losers in this whole ordeal... don't feel like they "got away" with anything. They lost the 1st overall pick, a 5th round pick, and had to pay a lot of money to Nix who will play elsewhere and get another big bonus from somebody... and all they will get is the 2nd overall pick next year. Gammons needs to stick with facts and actual player performance... its ironic since the Astros have a lot of the type of young players that he typically loves.
I do agree with Gammons on one thing, a team shouldn't be able to have a payroll under 40 million (or a salary floor somewhere in that range) and still collect revenue sharing money. I don't like Gammons and I do think the Astros are on the right track finally . . .but the way Crane profited (talking cash not draft picks) from ineptitude is sickening and shouldn't be allowed
I guess we'll find out in a few years if they did get away with anything. If Aiken turns out to be a JD Clowney then they did.
Hopefully Crane used the $$$$ to pay down the debt and the Stros can be players for elite players such as Hamels/Scherzer in a couple of yrs. When all of the young talent is ready for the show. If he did this, then that's even more reason to tank.
If the Astros had known he was "injured", they would have taken another player. Multiple players were being considered. It will really be Aiken/Nix vs. 2014 draft class (the other potential #1's) vs. who they get next year at #2. Regardless, they didn't get away with anything other than exposing a flaw in the pool money draft process.
