Well, if you will remember that when Jim Crane bought the team, there were rumors that he cut a deal with MLB so that the Astros moved from NL to AL because no one else wanted to do so. First of all, just from a pure marketing standpoint from your fan base, this really isn't that good of a move, you will have more games after 9PM and that's definitely not a good time slot for kids and family. Jim Crane never clarified if this is true nor it really matters, because at that time, frankly no one really care at all, as the Astros sucked big time. Jim Crane really did not spent any money the last few years, and some people still remember how we failed to sign our early picks not long ago (other than Brady Aikens whose a different story of course) http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a...he-houston-astros-2014-draft-breakdown-072414 So all these moves I still can understand because the owner is a businessman and he is in to make money. But this CSN thing is the bottom line, from the start till the end, the Astros and Jim Crane were the bad guys and it surely did not help give the previous history.
Welcome to 2+ years ago. What are they CURRENTLY doing to damage the fan base? In your own words, they have the most exciting team in baseball. They are stacked in the minor leagues. They are making aggressive moves. Perhaps they damaged the fan base 2+ years ago, but it seems they are making all of the right moves (and their personnel moves from the Crane/Luhnow are paying huge dividends) now.
Well, I already said Luhnow is one of the better GM in the MLB and AJ probably should win the manager of the year this season also. So this team is indeed a very exciting team to watch and our front office is doing a fantastic job. But since this thread is talking about attendance, which in lots of ways, other than the performance of the team on the fields, that will be affected by the business decisions of the organization and by its owner, which as I mentioned by above facts, that the Astros did not do a good job in the last few years and has no one to blame. There is no reason for you to be confused with the performance of this team on the field.
You still aren't stating directly what the Astros are doing NOW to apparently still be hurting their attendance...or you're backtracking with your verbal diarrhea. I can't tell.
The 'attendance' in the Astros forum is awesome today. Even in the NBA offseason, how often are there more people viewing the Astros forum than the GARM?
Since you are so insist to check word by word, this is what I wrote originally : "Jim Crane's team is doing an extremely poor job on running the business." I have never said the Astros are doing things now to HURT their attendance, so please stop making things up. What I meant is : there are track records and history that Jim Crane and his team has been running this organization poorly, especially on the business side, and even now the team performance has been picking up a lots, I have not seen anything dramatically changed (nor I believe it can be done as this will take time to heal for many fans) to help the attendance improved from the business side. Its totally different than what you want to accuse me.
So your main 'facts' were the move to the AL, not paying money for players/FAs, and the CSN debacle. All events in the past. But again you say "Crane's team is doing an extremely poor job on running the business." This implies that they are still, even now, doing things to alienate the fan base and run the franchise to the ground--so what are they still doing now? As has been stressed ad nauseam in this thread, it is going to take time to see the attendance return to its former glory days.
The Astros couldn't be bought without moving to the AL. Whether Crane got a "bargain" for moving is irrelevant. It was just bad timing as MLB needed an extra team in the AL and 1 less in the NL. Switching leagues isn't something that any franchise just wanted to volunteer out of the kindness of their heart. I don't particularly like Crane, but as long as he makes us a winner... I aint even mad
They also didn't "need" a balance between the leagues.... nobody is a huge fan of daily inter-league play The leagues had been imbalanced for decades and decades without consequence.... I think this was ironically a cooked up plan between Selig and Nolan (who was owner with the Rangers then).
You said they are damaging the fan base. You did not say, they damaged the fan base, so clearly you think they are doing something to continue to damage the fan base. Point to some facts. If it is your opinion, what is your opinion based on?
1) The leagues haven't been imbalanced for decades. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1997.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1997.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1982.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1982.shtml Context of imbalanced in this case means uneven leagues causing inter-league. I'm not going through the trouble of researching year-by-year, but both these seasons featured an even number of teams in each league. Could be wrong, but I thought MIL moving back to the NL messed with things. 2) MLB wouldn't allow any sale without moving... you know, the part of the post you deleted. Can't blame Crane for that... or taking a "deal" in doing so.
Before the NL added Florida and Colorado in 1993, there were 14 teams in the American League... and 12 teams in the National league... for DECADES! Your own links above (1982) will show that. There was never a push to get 13 teams in each league "just because" they wanted things to be even. Now there's stupidly 15 teams in each league because the NL central supposedly thought it was "unfair" to have more teams to compete against (total farce). This is twice in one week that i've had to give you a history lesson!
Actually this is not a rumor, but rather a condition that Jim Crane must accept in order to purchase the team, because all the other owners pushed for this. I get all the bandwagon fans now jumping up and down with excitement, there is nothing wrong about it. But ignoring the facts with what had happened the last few years is just so laughable. http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2013/3...houston-moving-astros-was-only-logical-choice
Houston will not have the NHL unless Les Alexander wants it.........or someone want to build an entirely new arena. Period. Nothing else matters. Population......NHL interest....Dallas, Nashville...the moon having an NHL team....doesnt matter. Les controls everything.
You still haven't answered anyone's question. Focus on the NOW. What is Crane doing now to continue to run the business poorly? You also linked to an opinion piece on a blog which doesn't help your case. And calling the long-time posters and fans here "bandwagon" fans will do very little to lend you any credibility.
