yeah, no kidding. "impatience"? He's gone from "we're not looking, but we'll listen" in 2008 to "ok, we're looking to sell in late 2010 to one deal, one that's very attractive, by summer 2011, and that's "impatience"??
By impatience, I mean not bowing to Selig just to get the deal done. Willing to wait a couple years more if necessary. Part of the problem here is that he "telegraphed" his eagerness for this deal too early, and Selig jumped on it. Had he been a bit more nonchalant about it, Selig may have perceived he had no leverage with Drayton and never brought the "move to AL" mandate into the approval process in the first place.
what? this is a sale for $687 million. anyone would be anxious to make that happen. they negotiated and this was the deal...which works to the favor of every owner in the league, frankly. all drayton has done is accept an offer to sell that he'd be a fool to refuse. this isn't about drayton at all...it's about what crane is willing to accept.
My statements are aimed at the part where Selig got his claws into things, and how that possibly could have been prevented. I am not accusing Drayton or Crane of wrong doing per say. I am basically saying that different posturing and/or public statements may kept Selig's agenda away from us.
what would you have had drayton do differently? his job at the point he accepted the offer was to show enthusiasm over it with the owners, showing how they'll all benefit from it, in an effort to get them to approve the deal and move on.
Different? 1) Not accepted those hurricane makeup games years ago where by he showed him self to be gullible to the commissioners office wishes. 2) Not gone on record back in july/august predicting when the approval would happen by. 3) Not made those comments saying how the approval process would be a smooth one. He didnt need to show enthusiasm to the owners. Everyone of them knew how a $687M Astros sale would benefit them.
..and in addition recently being quoted as saying he would move th Stros to the AL in 2013. Admittedly, I am not sure if he really said that. Just heard that floating around. If he did say it. That is the most damaging of all.
Drayton has been a dope for not putting up more resistance over the grossly unfair and unjust "home" series in Milwaukee, and for never going above Selig's slot and being nearly the only owner to do so (part of what has our Astros where they are today). But I think you're off on the rest of your comments. Selig is the villain here.
To me, its like getting robbed (Selig), but you left your doors unlocked (McLane). Yes, in this fashion, Selig is the villain. And I looked, and couldnt find anything quoting McLane saying he would move the club. Must of been a blog somewhere that said it, or I miss read it. I am glad he didnt. But Ill put the matter to rest for now, ive have nothing more to add. I hope Drayton/Crane have enough spine to fight this to the end. If it turns out they do, ill gladly eat many of my words here.
Is this the same blog that said the Astros spent $63 (or whatever) on signing draft picks a few years ago?
Wow Drayton. Drove your club into the ground arbitrarily following "slot" guidelines that nobody else had to follow, and you still haven't learned? Geez, get off that jerk's nutsack already.
IS that really his response? If so, that's BS because the commissioner can't make any team switch leagues, the club has to approve a move as big as that. I hope he doesn't think we are that stupid or maybe he just doesn't care enough anymore. Now, if Selig is strong arming Crane and McLane with the move then maybe that's what he means...holding Crane's past issues hostage which he gets his ransom.
I think Nolan Ryan has a great deal of clout; look how MLB bent-over backwards to prioritize his offer above Cuban/Crane's. Of course, Selig has to facilitate - but the one team that benefits the most from this is Texas. I think it'd be naive to think they're not actively pushing for this and leaning on Selig to make it happen.
Well, he did hold a press conference announcing the sale, which Selig had asked him not to do, right? I think Jim's point has some validity. Once Drayton went public with the sale announcement, Selig was able to leverage that. The last thing Drayton wants to do is have to hold a second press conference: "Never mind." It likely would have been best to lay low and let the process work itself out first.
I can not imagine a situation where the sale of the club goes up for a vote amongst the owners and that fact isn't made public.
Not have a press conference?? That would have been a PR nightmare. Come on, now. Fans and media would have burned McLane in effigy had he entered into a binding sale agreement on the club and just swept it under the rug. That's just ridiculous.
Drayton is sort of irrelevant in this whole process - it's not his job to dictate where the team goes after he's no longer owner. This is really between Selig and Crane. Crane is the one that has the power to back out, so he's the one that has to decide how willing he is to fight for the NL.
Announcing a sale agreement and holding a press conference in which Crane puts on his Astros' cap and everyone acts like approval is a mere formality are two entirely different animals. It absolutely raised the stakes. Selig does this anyway, obviously; but Drayton, IMO, definitely created a situation Selig could use to his advanatge.
