It didn't upset me that we traded him away, but we got nothing for him back when teams were much looser with prospects. On a side note after looking back at the Hunter Pence trade that happened just before the Bourn trade, how in the world did Cosart manage a sub-2 ERA in ten starts while walking more than he stroke out in 2013. I remember not liking him back then as his ERA was unsustainable, but holy crap I didn't recall that his walk rate was that bad.
If Crane wanted to own the Astros, he had to agree to the move to AL. I have no issue with him exacting compensation for having to do that. Just because he didn't spend money on the field, doesn't mean he didn't spend money - he built up baseball's best front office and (re)invested in the organization's scouting efforts, especially abroad. The Astros traded for Ma*w*in after Crane bought the team. And while, yes, both owners inherited good players - the Rockets won with those good players in Alexander's first year. Crane had to supplement those good players for years with solid drafting, development, signings and trades. It took him six years. The Red Sox & Yankees can outspend any team in baseball not by mere millions but literally hundreds of millions. And the Red Sox have one fewer championships in Crane's term as the Warriors do during Alexander's term.
I was thinking about this yesterday. The older I get, the more nostalgic I get. I have such great memories of Luv Ya Blue and Clutch City. While they were happening, it seemed like the good times would never end. But of course they did. Then I realized that we are right smack dab in the middle of the Astros version of Luv Ya Blue and Clutch City. I'm keep reminding myself to remember to take it all in and enjoy it while it lasts. Even though it sometimes feels like it, we aren't going to be winning 100 games every season for the next 20 years. Someday, we are going to look back at these days the same way we look back on Luv Ya Blue and Clutch City. I still have Game 7 of the WS on my DVR and every now and then, I fast forward to the bottom of the 9th just for fun. Drives my wife crazy ("This again? Haven't you seen this a million times??"). But each time I see that last ground out to Altuve.....I literally tear up. Even 2 years later.
Rockets never tanked because of the owner. Les sucked as an owner, screwed us even more by selling the team to guy that had to finance it from him instead of a real rich dude that could buy it cash.
Such a great owner. No ego either, he hires people he knows are smarter than him and lets them work. Spends when he needs to but doesnt spend foolishly. I remember how disheartened I was back when he first bought the team. I was so irate we had to leave the NL (now I think the pitcher having to bat is stupid) and he even suggested possibly re-naming the franchise. I was like "who the EFF does this guy think he is?! From the moment he changed the logo and uniform colors back to the orange and H-Star, I said "ok, maybe he gets it after all."
Yeah, no one has mentioned that but that was YUGE for me. Hope we keep these uniforms forever. They are literally perfect as-is. Especially the home whites.
Just because he didn't spend money on the field, doesn't mean he didn't spend money - he built up baseball's best front office and (re)invested in the organization's scouting efforts, especially abroad. He could have very easily spent money on the field and then traded the players he picked up later in the season to teams who may have needed them to make a run allowing them to gather more talent. again, I am not unhappy with Crane but I definitely think we have recency bias when it comes to evaluating Crane as a whole (from the beginning of him being an owner to how we feel he will be in the future) The Astros traded for Ma*w*in after Crane bought the team. And while, yes, both owners inherited good players - the Rockets won with those good players in Alexander's first year. Crane had to supplement those good players for years with solid drafting, development, signings and trades. It took him six years. the Rockets traded for Clyde and Elie not to mention that Sam Cassel was drafted a month before Les bought the team, if is not unreasonable to assume that Les was part of that decision making but even if he wasn't, Elie and Clyde were pretty huge
The fact that Crane okayed and then bought everybody in the Astros organization a World Series ring speaks about the man as a owner and what he represents.
Yup, teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Indians etc are going to blame the Astros like the rest of the NBA blamed the Warriors for not winning a ring with their current core which all those teams believe are WS series caliber.
Jim Crane allowed the guy he hired as GM to execute his plan and do his job. That right there puts him ahead of Les.
Most teams have ownership groups and those owners take out personal loans to buy in. Do no the banks would not own the teams. Balmer is an outlier because of his personal wealth. You are contradicting yourself if it's against the bylaws to finance a team purchase, how did Tillman buy the team by getting a loan?
He got the loan from Les. He did not borrow from a bank. He's essentially paying less millions a year for the foreseeable future. This arrangement is what I was talking about. I don't if there was ever an arrangement like this, but I've never seen it.
So yeah once again most teams are bought with loans from some entity which was my point. Nobody is using there own cash except for Ballmer. Anyway I will stop detailing this thread.
