I'm not dismissing at all. I'm just saying it's time to vote already. These are issues that are no less than 15 years old. There's no new facts to discover. He's been brought in and told his side of the story...I don't think this is the first time MLB has done due diligence on him. At some point, it's just time to vote. Vote him down..that's fine...but just vote. But I suspect, and it's being reported by everyone not named Richard Justice, that this is ultimately about the AL realignment push. Which is ridiculous. And if I'm Crane, I'm altering my purchase price for a franchise that plays so many of its games at 9 pm as opposed to 7 pm. That changes media revenues significantly. If MLB tells him to take a hike, then fine...take a hike.
How ugly could this get? He has a contract with Drayton through November 30 - which I'm guessing binds him to his purchase price, regardless, right? But what if they do sledgehammer this move...... does he have any legal footing? Can he say, "That's not the team I contracted to buy" and sue the hell out of McClane and/or MLB? I mean, I know he *can*, right? But does he have a case?
He can definitely argue they changed the deal on him. If he can show how it substantively affects revenues, he could definitely argue that's not what he agreed to. He'd just be able to get out entirely, in that instance. He's not really damaged...he'd just be arguing that there is no contract in place for him to buy anything but the Houston Astros, which has an NL charter.
Hmm, hmm, right, right... and how does Baylor fit into all this? Soooooooooo.... does the contract with McClane bind him, though? Couldn't McClane slap a breach of contract on him?
Won't matter. MLB can't force the Astros to move. The deal is pending MLB approval, and if he doesn't get it he doesn't get it. They also could have wording in the contract concerning a move to the AL, and given the size, I have to imagine a radical change like that would be included in any contract. I'm more curious if he could sue MLB over refusing to approve him because he does not want to switch leagues. There are a lot of parties involved in this deal.
BU fits in because Drayton was planning on spending some of these proceeds on a new on-campus football stadium for the Bears. He'll argue his contract is to purchase an NL team...he'll argue he didn't negotiate to buy an AL team. Bait and switch, basically.
All the suggestions about moving other teams and rearranging divisions are nice and all but they probably wouldn't be to excited either for the same reasons we aren't. MLB can't make anyone move, including the Stros, but because of the ownership change and Crane's issues coming up again Selig is holding this as his leverage. He now has a way to move a team and realigning/divisons. If Arizona would be going through an ownership change then it would be the same thing with them but Crane's past has given Selig a nice stranglehold of the situation.
Agreed I still can't believe nobody is making a big deal about the "interleague every series" scenario. Still no details about who will play who and how often, how do the regional rivalries still fit into everything, and will the overall "luster" of interleauge play (which still draws big crowds, despite its blah-ness) be ruined by having an interleage game everyday. As far as correcting "competitive imbalance" goes... I still think its laughable that the Cardinals have gotten to play the Royals every year for a home-and-home series, while the Cubs, Brewers and Astros have had to play two better teams every single year as part of their "regional rivalry". Same goes for the Rays-Marlins, compared to the Red Sox-Braves. The Astros had to travel to Milwaukee to play "home" games against the Cubs after the hurricaine. The Astros have been reprimeanded for paying overslot over the years while other big-market teams don't get the wrath of Selig. Obviously any central time zone team that gets moved to the AL West is going to get screwed by late starts. They need to abolish that division all-together and just realign to two divisions per league.
Idiotic Nationals announcers just said "I'm all for the Astros moving to the AL." Their reasoning was that it's a fewer than four-hour drive from the Metroplex (first mistake) to Houston, and having two teams in the same league, same division from the same state playing 18 times a year would be an intense rivalry that fans would travel in droves in to witness! Why isn't Washington clamoring to join the AL East and play Baltimore 18 times? I mean, clearly, that would be a more intense rivalry than the one the Nats have with the Braves, right? Atlanta is like 4 states from DC!!!
Actually, I believe Baltimore mandated the Nats be in the NL as they were initially upset any team was moving into their backyard. IIRC. I think the power player here is Texas; I think they want this as they're the team that will benefit the most. Ryan carries, I'm guessing, some serious clout with Selig. Picking up 18 games in their own time zone is a huge positive for them, more so that it's the Astros, who draw well in the Metroplex. I'm all for it. I have no allegiance to the NL. Our rivalries are based solely on winning and competition. No reason to think we won't be able to create that in the AL.
Put aside the fact Selig is using his leverage it really isn't a bad move. The whole argument about the late starts are overrated, Oakland plays a ton of day games and Texas is obviously in our time zone. Throw in some Saturday and Sunday day games with Seattle and Anaheim and you get only a handful of more late starts. None of the teams are bigger markets like the Cubs and Oakland and Seattle are basically smaller markets that could potentially spend much less in payroll. Consider we have two DHs on the roster, Wallace and Lee, and it should not be that big of a conversion.
I hate the DH and I hate the obliteration of a 90 year association with the NL. If this goes down, I'm done with MLB. The late starts don't really matter to me since the Astros used to be in the NL West anyway.
Allow Tampa Bay to Move to a city in the West, and then Move them to the AL West. Then move Milwaukee to the AL Central and then move Cleveland to the AL East. Problem solved. I definitely think Crane would have a legal case, but would likely be only to dissolve the contract.
The Extra Late Starts aren't really a big deal. 3 west coast team/ 18 gms yr = 54 games Half will be in Houston so now 27 we already play 12 west coast games in the NL So now you're down to 15 extra games, and a few of those those will be day games So you're really only talking 10 or so extra games. What they need to do is go back to the 4 division format. It makes all the sense in the world, 2 division winners , 2 wild cards. You cut the chance for a lousy division winner making the postseason, and don't punish a team for being in a division with 2 great teams. The Astros are an established NL team, move the Brewers back to the AL and the Twins or Royals out West. Crane should stand his ground Screw Selig
richardjustice I don't, but MLB officials I trust say it's still possible. RT @richardjustice Do you think Jim Crane will ever be approved? Back on mkt if Drayton still wants to sell. RT @richardjustice what happens if the sale is never approved?
Selig will lose this game of chicken. I completely agree with Crane's logic. He is paying for X amount for a team under Y conditions. He shouldn't knuckle under (and has no legal need to). If this goes to the deadline and Crane's deal expires, then it looks really bad for major league baseball. Football is the only american pro sport where franchise values look to be increasing across the board. A current baseball 'have-not' like the Astros will not solicit a better offer than $680 million. It'll look really bad for other owners if the Astros don't sell for a decent price. No league wants a repeat of the news orleans situation the NBA has where they can't find a buyer.
Get ready for some AL baseball folks... “@BNightengale: #mlb #Astros owner Drayton McLane, lobbying quite hard, just may wear everyone down and get Jim Crane approved, moving club to AL in 2013.” “@BNightengale: #Mlb Once the Astros move to AL, look for MLB to return to a balanced schedule, and an expanded playoff system with a wild-card round.” Looks like a deal might have been struck, move to the AL and we will balance the schedule to limit the late west coast games...oh and we'll approve you wink wink.
