Longtime owner Drayton McLane has agreed to sell the Astros to a group led by Houston businessman Jim Crane. Both McLane and Crane addressed the media today, though the sale hasn't been approved by MLB owners. Here's the latest:
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle guesses that president of business operations Pam Gardner and president of baseball operations Tal Smith, two of McLane’s most trusted advisors, “will be fired within six months.”
- Justice says he doesn’t know if Rays exec and Houston native Andrew Friedman will want to come home and run the Astros, but he points out that the opportunity could very well arise. If Friedman stays put, the Astros will likely pursue an assistant general manager “out of the same mold.”
- Crane says the Astros "will try to be smart and spend money wisely,” according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (on Twitter). “It starts with the draft," Crane said. "We need to make sure we're building a team for the future."
- GM Ed Wade introduced himself to Crane after today’s press conference, according to Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner (Twitter links). Wade had never met Crane before.
- Wade told Goff that if the sale is approved on time, it could have a “major effect” on the Astros’ approach to trades this July.
At least Justice admits to not knowing something instead of pulling an Olney.
Friedman might actually give Houston a good look. It’s back home for him and it’s another struggling club he could help turn around. I, personally, want him to stay in Tampa, you can’t argue with the success he had generated and I remember how it was with Niamoli. I definitely have learned to appreciate Freidman’s ownership philosophy.
To Jim Crane:
1. Please fire Milo Hamilton. If I have to listen to that arrogant son of a gun one more day…I’m gonna lose my mind. And take the other two guys with him too…and bring back radio commentators who’ve actually had ties to the organization (cough cough, Alan Ashby)
2. Fire everyone in the front office. Give Andrew Friedman a blank check to run things
3. Don’t fire the coaching staff…they’ve gotten a ton out of very little and deserve a chance to continue their work
4. Cut Carlos Lee…please, just do it already
5. Rename Tal’s Hill…Idk what Tal Smith has done to have his name on that thing, but it needs to change yesterday
Do this, and you will be universally loved in Houston. And the Astros will be back on the right track again
I once heard Milo call a play like this:
“Here’s the pitch…a bouncing ball…the flip…double play!”
That, in Milo’s world, constitutes detail. Worst. Broadcaster. Ever.
The Greatest call by Milo had to be this gem:
“0-2 pitch… throw down to third… to second… to first. Triple play!!!”
What really happened :
0-2 pitch, swinging strikeout. Ball thrown around the horn. there was nobody on base.
That man’s brain has officially turned to soggy oatmeal.
Imagine what a top notch exec like Friedman could do with a $100 million dollar plus payroll and total control of baseball operations.
The only question is whether he can get assurances from ownership that they won’t get impatient during the rebuilding process, because this ship is gonna take years to right.
Just gut it completely. Lee, Barmes, & Myers. Get young & quick.