Pretty much sums it up right here. Thanks Drayton. Cheapskate. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3185035 McLane has squandered opportunity By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Perhaps Drayton McLane's biggest mistake was failing to see last season's magical finish as an opportunity. He either didn't get it or didn't want to get it. In the end, everything that has gone wrong with the Astros can be traced there. Had McLane shown even an ounce of vision, had he been able to see the Astros for what they could be instead of what they are, he might have positioned his team to win a championship and generate enough new cash to weather the storms that come in the inexact world of player development. In other words, he could have changed the Astros forever. Instead, he dismantled a team that got within a game of the World Series. And he squandered an unprecedented fountain of goodwill. Future in wrong hands Because of his lack of imagination, the Astros are in uncertain waters. They've placed their future in the hands of young players, and no one can predict how that will work out. Those who blame rookie general manager Tim Purpura don't understand how the Astros operate. They are McLane's team. He approves every dollar that is spent and is involved in almost every decision. His smothering presence was a large reason why Gerry Hunsicker resigned or was forced out as general manager last fall. We may never know how that relationship ended. McLane insists Hunsicker resigned. Hunsicker hasn't offered a detailed explanation. But to think the Astros would have been significantly better if Hunsicker was still around is wrong. Every significant decision — and almost all of them turned out badly — was McLane's. Kent a bargain First, there was Jeff Kent. He was the National League's most productive second baseman in 2004. The Astros had a $9 million option for 2005. In baseball's screwy economics, that's what you call a bargain. The Astros declined to pick it up, then tried to get him to sign a contract that had $2 million less in guaranteed money but might actually have been worth more if a 2006 option had kicked in. Even the Congressional Budget Office would have trouble figuring out the logic in that deal. Here's where an owner has to think large. The Astros had captivated this city last fall. People were fired up in a way they'd never been before. McLane should have shown people he was excited, too. He should have re-signed Kent, and he shouldn't have stopped there. He should have gone for it. With Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte at the front of the rotation and Brad Lidge at the back of the bullpen, the Astros had the makings of a pennant winner. Sure McLane would have blown his 2005 budget. That's what owners sometimes have to do. They have to spend some now to make more later. McLane's payroll might have been $95 million. Big deal. His mistake was failing to see the big picture. If the Astros had, say, gone to the World Series, McLane would have gotten some, if not all, of that money back in terms of increased franchise value and future deals. This is the kind of thinking he seems incapable of doing. He raised ticket prices anyway last winter. He also got a windfall of new local television revenues — believed to be an additional $12 million to $15 million per season. And what did he do with that money? He cut the payroll. McLane can afford it McLane would argue a couple of points. He'd tell you baseball's strict new debt-service rule prohibits him from having a payroll larger than he has now. Malarkey. Forbes estimates that McLane's net worth is $1.3 billion. The Astros have as much or as little debt as he wants them to carry. He'd also say he couldn't commit to paying Kent $9 million because he didn't now how much Carlos Beltran and Clemens would cost him. More malarkey. He lost Kent over $2 million. That's ridiculous. And don't bring Clemens into a discussion of revenues. Clemens pays for Clemens. He increased the franchise's value the moment he put the uniform on. His presence sells tickets and merchandise. And then there's the small matter of him still being one of baseball's best starting pitchers. Yes, Beltran would have been expensive. McLane's mistake was allowing Beltran to control the offseason. He surely had studied the tactics of agent Scott Boras. If he hadn't, shame on him. I'm not Monday morning quarterbacking here. I wrote at the time that Kent's option should be picked up and that McLane should make Beltran a huge offer — $105 million over seven years was what I wrote and was about what McLane offered him — and then give him 10 days to accept it. Beltran would have rejected it. That's OK because Steve Finley and Moises Alou would still have been on the market. Purpura would still have had time to make an impact move. Once Kent left, Purpura and his staff wanted Alou. McLane said no. Manager Phil Garner wanted a proven reliever to pitch the eighth inning. No go there, either. Wade Miller may end up being another big mistake. The Astros made him an initial low-ball offer of $600,000. He signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million and has pitched decently in both his starts. Wait a minute, you're trying to have it both ways. You're the one who said it was time to give the kids a chance. Aren't you changing your story now that your plan has the Astros in last place? Well, uh, uh ... Actually, no. I favored keeping Kent and forcing the issue with Beltran. But once Beltran waited so late for a decision, Purpura did the right thing by not signing a mediocre veteran. His better option was to look at his own kids and hope a top-flight hitter becomes available this summer. Maybe things wouldn't have worked out anyway. Finley hasn't had a good year for the Angels, and with Bagwell out of the lineup, the Astros weren't going to score as many runs. Nothing is guaranteed in sports. But Kent and Alou surely would have generated enough offense to turn some of those close losses into victories. And one proven reliever might have turned a decent bullpen into a good one. McLane blew all these calls. He blew an opportunity to do something special with his franchise. First-rate franchise This column shouldn't be read as an indictment of his 12 years as owner. One bad offseason doesn't change the fact that he runs a first-rate franchise. He has increased revenues and payroll almost every year. He's the reason customer service at Minute Maid Park is so good. His failings are more subtle. Sports franchises are fragile things. They must get the big things right, but they don't achieve greatness without sweating the small stuff. McLane never understood why Hunsicker tinkered around the edges of the roster. He never understood why Hunsicker referred to team building "as an art, not a science." He probably couldn't understand. He simply was built differently. He believes in the big splash, because those moves sell tickets and advertising. He sees the bottom of the payroll as four or five players who do nothing but run up the payroll. Here's hoping he retraces his steps last winter. Here's hoping he understands that this season's failure is his and his alone.
Yea things have been rough but I wouldn't call this season a failure just yet. The Stros are showing signs of turning things around plus I think there could still be a big aquisition in June or July. Kent - I agree, we definitely should have kept him, letting him go was a huge mistake. Miller - I think letting him go was the right move. So he had two decent starts in Boston. He'll be on the DL soon, trust me. Definitely not worth the guaranteed money he would have been getting. Beltran - Losing Beltran is what really hurt us. But we simply had no chance of signing him. He and his agent wanted New York and thats all there is to it. They couldn't get the Yankees interested so they went with the Mets. Beltran screwed us over. He wouldn't have signed with us no matter what we offered.
The thing is they put all their eggs in one basket. They were counting on & wanting Beltran that they waited and waited then he signed with the Mets . By then quality players signed else where. Justice was right when he said McLane should have controlled the off season by giving Beltran a deadline and put the squeeze on him.
Justice is the same writer who advocated trading Kent during the 2004 season. Now he is bemoaning the fact that the Astros didn't sign him for $9,000,000. Which of his columns should McLane have paid attention to?
I usually can't stand Richard Justice, but his article is on the money. Drayton let Scott Boras dictate the entire offseason. And the Astros are caught in no-man's land. 4 excellent pitchers and a weak offense isn't enough to win anything, but you owe it to guys like Clemens to not give up on the season.
This was EXACTLY my thought. There are some guys who could have written that article, and it would have been fine. Richard Justice is not that guy. He wanted Kent benched for Burke last season...he wanted Kent traded. As for Alou...come on, Richard! He went to finish his career playing for his father. Hard to compete with that. Wade Miller MAY end up being another big mistake. Please, Richard. Please.
Justice hit the nail on the head here. He pretty much summed up everything that we ingrates have been stating for months. Nothing we can do about it now unfortunately.
This is one of the few times where the messenger distracts from them message. If you wrote this article, I'd say, "ok." In fact, I think you already did write this article. Though we disagree...at least your consistent. Justice writing this is comical.
Exactly. I think there were definitely mistakes this offseason, but the problem I have with the majority of ingrates who absolutely love what's going down is that had McLane gone another route and signed someone like J.D. Drew or Ordonez, they'd be b****ing about something else. If I haven't had to listen to the whining of so many people over the past several seasons, it'd be easier to take. Drayton's always been a damned if you do, damned if you don't type owner. That'll never change. I'll ask this question again because I haven't received an answer and I honestly don't know. Outside of Kent, what free agent last year should the Astros have signed? Again, please keep it realistic.
Richard Justice wrote that during the 2004 season, when it looked like the Astros were going nowhere and Kent was having an average season. Then Kent turned it on, and the Astros became much better. Circumstances change, and I understand why he changed his argument.
Kent was not having a bad season at that point. Justice just wanted a shake-up. Kent was about the only bright spot (aside from Biggio) in the lineup consistently last season, if I remember right. Justice said he just thought they should shake it up because clearly they weren't gonna win with what they had. He was wrong. Now he's saying the guy he wanted benched should have been signed to a $9 million deal when that same Chris Burke was on the roster. Sorry..but that's talking out of both sides of your mouth.
The Curse of Uncle Drayton. All of these outlines from Justice stating what the Astros should have done last offseason was Hunsicker's plan. Drayton needs to start listening to the people around him who know more about baseball than he does.
1. how do you know that this was hunsicker's plan?? 2. if this is true...if these are all drayton's decisions...are you ready to give him full credit for all the good things this organization has done for the past 10 years?? blame him for a bad offseason...any credit for presiding over far and away the best era of Astros baseball...i mean, considering these are ALL his decisions and he doesn't accept input from anyone else.
Justice mentioned all of these moves as Gerry's offseason plan about a week ago on either 610 or 790. Don't remember. I'm sure that Hunsicker is Justice's source for all of the behind the scene info. in this story. Gerry wants to stick it to Drayton.
ok..i didn't hear that. gerry was ready to give up on the beltran hunt before it began? p.s. how about point 2?
Justice said Gerry had Kent as the #1 priority for the Astros this offseason given Beltran's uncertain return. Beltran should have a time limit to sign so it would not hurt their chances of bringing in other potential FAs. I'll give props to Drayton for selling Clemens on coming to Houston. But as far as the baseball deals go that's all Hunsicker. I'll give credit to Drayton for keeping Biggio too. Not sure if it was true, but I believe Hunsicker wanted to let Biggio go a few years back because he thought he was done.
but wait...you just said he didn't take hunsicker's advice. richard says these aren't purpurra's moves because this is entirely drayton's team and entirely his decisions. this is where the criticism gets ridiculous. it pins all bad moves on Drayton...and says Drayton calls all the shots. but then credits every good move to Hunsicker, despite the fact Drayton never listened to him and runs this thing entirely by himself. you can't have it both ways.
it is the most frustrating thing in the world to watch a rotation thats in win now mode take the mound, and havin a defense and offense behind it that belongs in triple a. the astros need to do something about this offense and they need to do it soon. the loss of bagwell takes away what we just got back in berkman. trade prospects, trade whoever. with this rotation, we should be winning. we need that big bat, to help us get over the top before we fall too far behind. open that pocketbook drayton, dont waste this rotation.
He said Drayton doesn't listen to him regarding star players. The article clearly stats that when it comes to players that will sell tickets Drayton gets involved. Beltran, Clemens, Biggio, etc.
Kent had a remarkable start to this season and it appears Justice and others are back on the Kent bandwagon. Kent's last 6 games: 2 for 23, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .087 AVG, .120 OBP, .217 slugging April - .333 , 6 HRs, 18 RBI May - .212 , 2 HRs, 10 RBI (5 of these RBI came in the same inning) As I wrote to Richard Justice this morning, let's let the season play out more than 1/4 before determining if it is a success or failure. In additon, things that transpire this season may lead to success next season. Maybe Don Baylor will work on that hitch in his swing.
