Uh... what? <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Just got statement by Astros Meg Vaillancourt. To be on-line soon. Vaillancourt, who just got here from Boston, says no Astros Wives exist.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/status/334438826757992452">May 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The head of the Astros Foundation came from the Red Sox. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Per IRS docs, Red Sox Foundation: $9.2m in donations, $4.4m in grants ... 48%. Astros Wives: $432K in donations, $220k in grants ... 51%</p>— Reid Laymance (@ReidLaymance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReidLaymance/status/334433268436979712">May 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>As Astros criticize pct. that wives give to charity, they forget that Red Sox foundation gave a lower pct<a href="http://t.co/HAhT6ymY1x" title="http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/05/14/astros-official-response-to-ending-of-astros-wives-charity-event/">blog.chron.com/ultimateastros…</a></p>— Reid Laymance (@ReidLaymance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReidLaymance/status/334439523327041536">May 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Astros couldn't just say they were donating to other groups .. had to take shots at longtime charity <a href="http://t.co/HAhT6ymY1x" title="http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/05/14/astros-official-response-to-ending-of-astros-wives-charity-event/">blog.chron.com/ultimateastros…</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23astros">#astros</a></p>— Reid Laymance (@ReidLaymance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReidLaymance/status/334441058547154945">May 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When Crane was in the process of buying the team a lot was made of his issues in past business dealing with minorities and women. There was some issues made there and then it seems they did a good job of squashing them and not letting them become major news stories. Personally, I was thinking he ran a big business, it could easily be people that worked for him doing a poor job in those areas and it all falls back on him because he is the owner, but he probably is a good guy who just had some bad people working for him. Now, as a sports fan and particularly an Astros fan, obviously I watch everything that goes on the best that I can. The more and more I see of this guy, the more obvious it becomes that he is a horrible person who really cares about his bottom line, cares about the things that HE personally wants to care about, and could give a crap about anyone else . . including us, his fan base
I think it's more that he just doesn't know when to shut up. I don't think Crane is an awful guy or that he has an appreciably different mentality than most owners... but he seems to believe that being a "straight shooter" is the approach to every situation. In reality, when you're in that kind of a power position, sometimes the best protocol is to swallow your pride and not kick people when they're down (even if you think it's deserved). In this case, Laymance is exactly right. Just say you're giving to other groups instead, and leave it at that. It's actually a pretty easy case to make; obviously the Astros themselves never ran this event, so they didn't cancel anything. Just let it be. But when you're big business and you point the finger... you're asking for your own actions to be scrutinized as well. My guess is that that abrasive style has gotten him in trouble in the past as well. I can buy that maybe the Women's Center isn't as good as some other charities in their proportional rate. It's certainly feasible. But if you're the Astros, there's zero good that can come from pointing that out. I mean, they're a charity. Just donate to whoever you choose to donate to and let them handle their own business. But the Astros got overly defensive and shot from the hip, and here we are. To be fair to Crane, today's statements were from Vaillancourt, not him. But the problem seems to run throughout the business side of the organization. There's value in not kicking the hornet's nest, even if you think it's warranted. I still prefer Crane to McLane because I think he "gets it" better from a baseball perspective... but I'm crossing my fingers that his next president is someone that's a true independent thinker and not from his own circle. Some fresh input from a leadership perspective is badly needed.
We will just have to agree to disagree here, cause I think he is showing himself to be a horrible person just like he showed himself to be a horrible person in his other business ventures. He is obviously good at making money, which is great for him and his family. And maybe the women's center isn't good at raising money, I won't act like I know a lot about that. Funny that the Astros say that, and then you look at the finances and a large part of the women's centers cost were going to pay the Astros. Crane is a POS
I'm not necessarily saying Crane is a good guy. I think there's obviously a certain amount of greed. I just think that's a more common trait than people realize among most sports owners and executives with that kind of business history. The difference is that others do a better job of keeping their mouths shut when **** hits the fan. I know I've mocked "PR speak", but there's a reason for it. I'm praying Biggio takes the job. I think he's the one candidate I've seen with enough "political capital" to make a dent in the overall atmosphere.
George was just a scapegoat. George grew up in the restaurant business and knows not to ***** on his customer base. Crane wanted to clean house and he had George be the front man. Now George's name is being ruined unfortunately.
There's a big difference in running a business and running a sports franchise. Don't think Crane gets that quite yet.
As a disinterested observer, it is hilarious to watch the total and complete lack of "give a f**k" by the Astros business and community PR types. They take steps forward, behind the scenes mostly, to build up the baseball side of things, yet at the same time they are abjectly tone-deaf to the business side. It's quite comical. Oh, and George Postolos is a massive prick. Never should have hired him outside of his consulting role.
Postolos is a good man. He was a scapegoat. Crane is the problem here. http://www.astroscounty.com/2013/05/phil-rogers-postolos-resigned-because.html Now, the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers says that Postolos resigned out of frustration with Jim Crane's hands-on approach.
I just think he's getting a lot more blame than he deserves. And I admit that I am biased due to various factors as well.
Ouch (2nd half of article, link below): Obviously, Jim Crane can donate money to whichever cause he’d like. He can give his blessing or shoot down any events that carry his team’s name – but, all things considered, this was just another bad move, another bad choice. It was an even worse choice not to be proactive before this story became a PR nightmare. Shouldn’t Vallaincort have had a plan to continue the relationship with HAWC or at least been able to allocate less than 1.5% of Jim Crane’s $18M pledge as a way to ice over this disastrous situation? Did this story absolutely have to become such a mammoth clusterpoo? No one is begging Crane to pay $250,000 – people are begging Crane to let them raise $250,000 for the Houston Area Women’s Center. Why is this unacceptable? If the Astros Wives Organization is run so poorly and the Women’s Center isn’t getting the maximum proceeds, why can’t Vallaincourt develop a plan to cut the fat from the event and make it more lucrative for the Women’s Center? This is just one more wave rolling and barreling into the Astros sandcastle of credibility. If Jim Crane made this decision in January, why is it that this story is just getting steam right now? Is there not a single person associated with the Astros that thought the team should be ahead of this story? The club could have controlled the narrative, they could have beat KHOU to the punch and put themselves in a better situation… but, oddly, they didn’t. The Astros could have made this into a feel good story – but, again, they chose not to. Of course I think Crane should have made efforts to continue the team’s association with the Women’s Center. But, again, it isn’t my money, and I don’t have $10M to talk about it with him over lunch. However, his beyond putrid PR team is currently scrambling trying to control the damage, having lawyers analyze press releases and trying to deflect the story while they’ve had months to prepare for this. Months! Did they not think this would make the evening news? Are the Astros so tone deaf that they believed this wasn’t a story? Even after all the bad press they’ve accumulated in the last two years? Are we in the Twilight Zone? What the hell is going on with the Astros? What should be concerning to the Astros is the fact that many people are not shocked by these events. The Astros are earning a reputation for bad publicity, and they keep fumbling away their goodwill. They’re a public relations dumpster fire. They keep unnecessarily shooting themselves in the foot. They’re unpredictable. They’re dysfunctional. They’re the Randy Travis of Major League Baseball. No one is shocked that the Astros are choosing to back out of supporting a women’s center… shouldn’t that bother the Astros? No one is giving the Astros the benefit of the doubt… shouldn’t that bother the Astros, too? Everyone was expecting the Astros to fudge this situation… shouldn’t that bother the Astros, too? I’ve gotten emails and direct messages via Twitter – people are outraged, disgusted but not the least bit surprised. The environment that Crane has created for himself cultivates these sorts of reactions. When Crane bought the club, fans were actively rooting for him; they were hopeful, and they were ready for meaningful improvement. They were tired of Drayton McLane’s song and dance and wanted Crane to come in and save the day. Crane had the opportunity to be a hero. But, instead, Crane has built an organization that his fans completely distrust. …and that sucks! No one can watch the games, there’s dumb signage blocking the view of downtown, there’s no Deshaies and no Dierker and the Astros are twiddling their thumbs. Astros fans are not overreacting – the Astros have conditioned us to expect the worst. Jim Crane has dug himself a hole that he cannot get out of – he’s the villain. Loyal Astros fans distrust the organization, Jim Crane can’t catch a break and all the while the oblivious public relations staff plays Candy Crush. That is a very alarming indictment for the Houston Astros. The Astros organization is in an ass-over-teakettle public relations freefall, and no one in the organization seems to really give a ****. Ironically, the Astros’ inability to get ahead and be proactive in the face of bad press is only matched by their self-destructive ability to create bad press. Maybe that’s an integrity issue? http://thehoustonsportscounterplot.tumblr.com/post/50456182602/black-eyes-and-baseball-mishaps
this is all so sad. purpura, drayton, postolos, and crane have turned my beloved astros into a cluster****.
“As a best charitable practice, it is common to expect some 70 percent — or more whenever possible — of funds raised should go towards the charitable purpose people intended in supporting the event. In the case of the gala, in recent years, it appears that a little more than half — and at least in one recent year, less than half — of the funds raised actually went to the Women’s Center.” In the last available IRS filings, the Astros Wives Organization had $432,000 in contributions in 2011 and distributed $220,000 to the Houston Area Women’s Center. That’s 50.9 percent to charity. Most of the other money was used to fund the banquet and silent auction, which were held at Minute Maid Park and included fees paid to the Astros. Vaillancourt came to the Astros this year from the Red Sox Foundation. By comparison, the Red Sox Foundation had $9.2 million in contributions in 2011 and distributed $4.4 million in grants. That’s 47.9 percent to charity. http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/05/14/astros-cancel-annual-wives-gala-fundraiser/ Makes sense.
I love my Astros. I really do. I'm a fan for life. They're kind of like my kids, though. Right now, they're being petulant little brats and don't seem to give a s*** about what everyone else thinks. I still love them...but I don't really like them. I'm getting to the point where I don't care that I'm not watching games. It's not only because of the garbage that's on the field. It's more and more because of the garbage off it. I really don't want them to hire Biggio as team pres. I don't want his legacy dragged down, much in the way that's happening to Jordan with the Bobcats, because the owner can't get his s*** together. A dumpster fire is the perfect way to explain where this organization currently stands. Go to the Hangout and check out the thread about the restaurant couple in AZ that Gordon Ramsey walked out on. That is Jim Crane and his front office (with the exception of Luhnow and his staff). They have no concept of what people are saying. They have no concept of how to treat the fans. They have even less concept of how to win new or win back fans that are now wearing the blue and red of that team in S. Oklahoma. The only thing they've managed to do right is the uniform change. Everything else has been a travesty. It's getting pretty embarrassing to be an Astros fan.
