Richard Justice's lap dog love letter to Bud Selig this morning was ridiculous. Nearly everything I've read OTHER THAN JUSTICE (including Mark Berman) says that this is all about the Astros and the AL realignment issue. But Richard says that Selig told him it's not...so that's gotta be true!! Yes, Crane has issues...no question. But holy crap, how long does it take to work though that? What facts are changing in those decades old issues? If you don't like him, vote him down. If the issues create too much of a stink, vote him down. But to draw this thing out like this is ridiculous. My guess is MLB and Drayton won't see an offer around $680 million again.
Bud Selig absolutely sucks. The unknown only hurts the franchise, angers and worries the fan base, Drayton, and Crane. My biggest concern about Crane is how much debt is involved in this deal, along with the supposed payroll of $50-$60 million, which makes me worried he has to cut costs to afford the debt load, but that doesn't appear to be MLB's problem. If it is about the move to the AL, and I'm believing those reports saying it is, I'd expect this to be a game of chicken going down to the November 30 deadline. Just go away Bud. Nobody wants the all-star game to mean anything other than fun. Don't make teams in the middle of a pennant race go play a home game in the closest city to the road team, because a hurricane just damaged their city. Don't switch leagues on a team that likes the league they are in, and has been there for 50 years just so one team can benefit from playing a few additional games in their timezone.
While I'm sure Crane's past issue have certainly been an issue, especially with the Dodgers and Mets going through their troubles, guys like Justice and Maury Brown don't want to look like fools either. You can't tell me MLB hasn't gone through every single bit of info on Crane by this point. They may not like what they found but if Crane says he'll move the team to the AL WEST then the vote is taken and all this is over. This has basically become a power play by Selig to get his way. What makes more sense, moving a franchise with 13 years of history and keeping them in their own region or moving a team with over 40 years of history out of theirs because Nolan Ryan wants a rival? Difference is Selig has leverage over the Stros but none over the DBacks.
***** bud selig... dude is a worthless baffoon who routinely looks out for his self-interests. crane may have some issues but to parade them around and try to strong-arm him is a joke. i hope selig chokes on a bratwurst.
Move Pittsburgh to the NL East. Move Washington to the AL East. Move Tampa Bay or Toronto to the AL Central. Move Kansas City to the AL West. Problem solved?
I'm not a baseball watcher, so it wouldn't really bother me if the Astros went to the AL. They really do need to even out the divisions, though. I just can't see them pissing off 4 teams vs. just pissing off 1. Especially a team that is as vulnerable as the Astros, changing ownership, and with zero fan support and little in the way of talent. The Astros are bottoming out at a bad time, and Selig is going to capitalize on that because he can. It won't be so bad, I don't think. The Rangers can hopefully become a legit rival (the silver whatever is such a joke), and the Rangers/Yankees/Redsox will bouy whatever fan interest was lost with Atlanta/Chicago/St. Louis. And the Astros have a much better shot at being competitive in the AL West than the NL Central, too. The worst part will be the geographic nightmare with all 3 of those Pacific timezone teams. Ugh. Plus the DH is dumb. But meh. We'll live.
I wouldn't say the Astros have "zero fan support". Low attendance right now, of course. But Astros fans are still around, and still care. We're just not stupid like Cubs fans, running to pay $10 for beer to watch losers lose.
Is it a rule that if your name is BUD, you have to be a completed dbag? Selig reminds me of the politician who is all about family, but has a mistress or two on the side. He's delaying the process for his own gains. Maybe Selig should buy the team and sell it to one of his bankrubt buddies on credit. =/ Selig ticked me off when he had us playing "our home" games in a "neutral" field back in 2008. Now he is doing it again. Selig needs to go away.
exactly. if you don't like the guy, have the vote and vote him down. there's nothing more to figure out...except the AL thing...ah hem.
• Sources say MLB officials summoned prospective Astros owner Jim Crane to a meeting recently, for the specific purpose of strongly "encouraging" him to allow them to move the Astros franchise to the American League. And Rumblings has been told that while baseball has other concerns about his ownership credentials, the delay in approving his purchase has nearly everything to do with applying leverage on Crane to change leagues. Remember, the 29 current owners all have veto power over moving -- even to another division in the same league. So the Astros are the only franchise that can be pressured to do anything. • In the big picture, what does this hang-up in the Astros' sale tell us? In fact, the plot line here has very little to do with the Astros' future, because at some point, Drayton McLane will make sure this sale does get approved. What this really tells us is that behind the scenes, baseball is finally building momentum toward realigning the sport into two 15-team leagues and six divisions of five teams each. Increasingly, it appears that the players won't sign off on expanding the postseason to include an extra wild card unless the owners agree to realignment and a more equitable schedule. And the Astros' situation is the first tip-off that negotiations are now moving in that direction. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/rumblings110909/offseason-market-loaded-closers*
I am really losing interest in baseball. I am a lifelong Astros fan, but I will be pissed if they move to the American league. I still watch the Astros if there is nothing else on TV, but I could very easily give up baseball all together if I had to. The fact that a team like the Yankees can buy up all the good players kinda takes the fun out of baseball. I'm disappointed to hear Crane say that he would consider allowing the Astros to be moved to the AL.
to a guy who made them look stupid already in the rangers fiasco. this guy simply isn't clean or even rich enough reportedly.
