Astros Sale

[Al Falfa]

NEW YORK -- The proposed sale of the Houston Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane is on the agenda for approval when baseball owners meet next week, The Associated Press has learned.

Two people familiar with the negotiations say McLane, Crane and Major League Baseball have reached an understanding on how a possible shift of the franchise to the American League in 2013 would take place. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because MLB had made no announcements.

Last May, McLane and Crane announced a sale valued at $680 million, the second-highest purchase price in baseball history behind the $845 million purchase of the Chicago Cubs by the Ricketts family two years ago.

Progress toward approval slowed when MLB wanted Crane to accept a possible switch to the AL. The understanding on a switching the Astros out of the National League was part of a new negotiation that covered several points, one of the people said.

The players' association has pushed for a switch to two 15-team leagues, saying it would create a more equitable schedule. The earliest any league switch would take place is 2013.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Astro Fans are Mortified. Read their ESPN Fan Page. The Astro Fans don't want to come over to the AL under any circumstances. They all Hate Bug Selig. They said that the AL isn't Real Baseball.

 

[guitarmy21b]

I hope they come to our division. I hate only having 4 teams in the West. It would be good for them and good for us.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I hope they come to our division. I hate only having 4 teams in the West. It would be good for them and good for us.

I don't agree at all that moving to the AL would benefit the Astros in any way that owners care about. Money. Why would Crane accept an MLB proposed move of the Astros to a predominantly Pacific Time Zone division ... when it has a place in a Central Time Zone division.

I have zero care about making two 15 team leagues ... and if that is MLB's imperative ... them MLB is going to have to provide ownership with a pretty big chunk of revenue sharing money above the other teams in the division for minimum of 5 years to make it worthwhile to me. Moving to the ALW would mean that HOU picks up minimum of 30 away games in the division that will not strart until 9pm CT well out of good viewership and advertising revenue premium.

Ryan-Greenburgh should have made move of TEX from the ALWest to the ALCentral as their requirement from MLB as a part of taking over the financially troubled TEX franchise. No way if I am Crane would I accept a HOU move out of the NL at all ... and no way at all a move to the PTZ.

 

[Al Falfa]

Astro Fans are Mortified. Read their ESPN Fan Page. The Astro Fans don't want to come over to the AL under any circumstances. They all Hate Bug Selig. They said that the AL isn't Real Baseball.

Like it or not it sounds like it's going to happen and Astros fans being upset is understandable. I'd be upset, too if the Rangers went to the NL, but I like the idea and I think if given time it will turn out to be a good thing. At least we can watch one away division series start before 9pm.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Like it or not it sounds like it's going to happen and Astros fans being upset is understandable. I'd be upset, too if the Rangers went to the NL, but I like the idea and I think if given time it will turn out to be a good thing. At least we can watch one away division series start before 9pm.

Still have all those 9pm starts in SEA, OAK, and LAA. Those road starts in HOU would be no different than the 7pm road starts TEX would have to give up against ALC teams to make room for HOU in its schedule.

Better way to solve the AL division balance would be to move the TBR franchise from the AL East to Las Vegas or Portland and the AL West ... and move TEX to the AL Central. Makes the division break down 4 - 6 - 4 ... but so what.

I really don't care what MLB has to do to make it happen ... that's their problem ... but if I'm an owner of the 2-time American League champions ... I'm going make sure Bud gets us moved to a Central Time Zone division in two years.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Like it or not it sounds like it's going to happen and Astros fans being upset is understandable. I'd be upset, too if the Rangers went to the NL, but I like the idea and I think if given time it will turn out to be a good thing. At least we can watch one away division series start before 9pm.

As WindingWatch just stated its a bad deal for the Astros. There goimh to be playing 3 West Coast Teams on the Road and all their Games start at 9:00PM. People have to go to work the next day and can't stay up to watch it. The Brewers were a AL Team at one time. Why don't they switch back to the AL. Sure Gave Selig a Sweetheart Deal when He became Comissioner.

 

[guitarmy21b]

I'm not buying the "people can't stay up late enough" crap. I wake up at 530AM and I still watched all the ALW road games.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

From a Interest point of view also the Astros Fans sure find Teams like the Reds, Cardinals, and Cubs alot more interesting than the Athletics, Angels, and Mariners. Plus there used to NL Baseball. Can understand why they don't want to come over to the AL. Selig is a Hypocrite. But if it happens I do understand there is nothing they can do.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I'm not buying the "people can't stay up late enough" crap. I wake up at 530AM and I still watched all the ALW road games.

That's great ... but it's not your viewership they are after since you are already watching. They are after the 12yo kid who isn't allowed to watch a game that starts at 9pm on a school night.

 

[Al Falfa]

As WindingWatch just stated its a bad deal for the Astros. There goimh to be playing 3 West Coast Teams on the Road and all their Games start at 9:00PM. People have to go to work the next day and can't stay up to watch it. The Brewers were a AL Team at one time. Why don't they switch back to the AL. Sure Gave Selig a Sweetheart Deal when He became Comissioner.

No doubt it's a bad deal for the Astros. My reasons for liking it are strictly selfish. If baseball was smart they would realign all teams according to area as much as possible.

 

[Al Falfa]

That's great ... but it's not your viewership they are after since you are already watching. They are after the 12yo kid who isn't allowed to watch a game that starts at 9pm on a school night.

That's a great point. There is no doubt that the number of viewers would increase with earlier start times. Along with ad revenues.

 

[Windingmywatch]

No doubt it's a bad deal for the Astros. My reasons for liking it are strictly selfish. If baseball was smart they would realign all teams according to area as much as possible.

It's counterintuitive and I'll see if I can dig up the sports management piece where I read the details ... but alignment of somewhat closely local teams in a common division does not increase game attendance or TV vewers across the entire schedule.

Consider how boring it might be for the fans in NY if the Mets and Yankees were in the same division ... all the same teams visiting both NYY and NYM. Total attendance and viewers doesn't go up if they were to play each other routinely ... one stadium gets about the same full it always is for a home game ... the same number of people watch TV ... the other stadium is empty ... and half of the MLB teams don't visit NYC except during interleague play.

The absolute best example of how sports marketing, attendance, and TV ratings are not dependant on a local rivalry ... is the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East Division. Best move Jerry Jones made when he bought DAL was to counter plans by the NFL to move the Cowboys out of the NFC East.

 

[Al Falfa]

It's counterintuitive and I'll see if I can dig up the sports management piece where I read the details ... but alignment of somewhat closely local teams in a common division does not increase game attendance or TV vewers across the entire schedule.

Consider how boring it might be for the fans in NY if the Mets and Yankees were in the same division ... all the same teams visiting both NYY and NYM. Total attendance and viewers doesn't go up if they were to play each other routinely ... one stadium gets about the same full it always is for a home game ... the same number of people watch TV ... the other stadium is empty ... and half of the MLB teams don't visit NYC except during interleague play.

The absolute best example of how sports marketing, attendance, and TV ratings are not dependant on a local rivalry ... is the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East Division. Best move Jerry Jones made when he bought DAL was to counter plans by the NFL to move the Cowboys out of the NFC East.

I was talking about realignment as a cost savings to teams more than an entertainment value to fans. Watching Texas play Kansas City instead of Seattle doesn't get the blood pumping. On the other hand, I believe late games on the left coast hurts viewer ratings.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Not sure how more regional alignment would be a cost savings.

Now if we were to bring back the 154 game schedule ... double headers every weekend ... 9 team leagues ... and teams travelling by train ... now that will save money.

 

[Al Falfa]

Not sure how more regional alignment would be a cost savings.

Now if we were to bring back the 154 game schedule ... double headers every weekend ... 9 team leagues ... and teams travelling by train ... now that will save money.

Seems like it would be cheaper to fly 4 or 5 times to KC, Houston and St Louis as opposed to flying to Oakland, Seattle and LA.

 

[Ginger]

Not sure how more regional alignment would be a cost savings.

Now if we were to bring back the 154 game schedule ... double headers every weekend ... 9 team leagues ... and teams travelling by train ... now that will save money.

Wow! We are in huge disagreement with all of this, that is for sure. There are HUGE advantages to having a regional alignment ala the American League East.

Players get to rest more, travel less. Making them more productive. They can also practice more, meaning they improve more. Fans get to go to away games. Better attendance all the way around. Teams play in their own time zone. Better TV ratings though the Rangers did sign a huge mega deal. Honestly, I can think of a lot of reasons why a regional alignment would be much better.

 

[AGZBASEBALL]

Regional Allignment by Time Zones would overall be better for everybody. Totally Agree. Be that's not going to happen. At least not right now. The Astros are moving to the AL West to give each 15 Teams. From the Astros Fans Point of View they are Very Upset. Very Bad for them All Around. Less Attractive Teams to Watch and 3 West Coast Teams with 9:00PM Starting Times. TV Ratings suffer a lot. Real Fans will try to stay up and watch it but your talking about the masses here. After the 4th or 5th Inning there is a lot of People who turn off their TV Sets and Go to Bed. Rangers have dealt with this Problem for Years. I have Longed wished the Rangers were in a Division with Teams from their Own Time Zone. The Royals didn't want to move to the AL West. They told Selig No a Few Years back. Who could blame them. Rangers had to stay where they are. For the same reason the Astros don't want to deal with the Problem the Rangers have to deal with. Plus the Astros Fans are used to NL Baseball. Re Alignment would make sense All Around but probably won't happen in Our Lifetime.

 

[Al Falfa]

Wow! We are in huge disagreement with all of this, that is for sure. There are HUGE advantages to having a regional alignment ala the American League East.

Players get to rest more, travel less. Making them more productive. They can also practice more, meaning they improve more. Fans get to go to away games. Better attendance all the way around. Teams play in their own time zone. Better TV ratings though the Rangers did sign a huge mega deal. Honestly, I can think of a lot of reasons why a regional alignment would be much better.

I'll guarantee you that with something on the line other than that stupid boot, I'll be going to Houston for some games. Making a 15 minute drive to Love Field for a day trip to St Louis would be a blast.

 

[fordman84]

HOU will end up in the AL, no use fighting it. Milwuakee went through the opposite not too long ago. I read this morning that Crane is getting a $50M price break from MLB (credit perhaps) because of the impending switch. If the MLB is paying, it IS going to happen.