Astros to the AL?!?

[Will94]

I've been so caught up in NCAA conference realignment that I missed Peter Gammon's tweet that the Astros sale was done and we would be moving to the AL. What complete BS! Selig moves his old team from the AL to the NL and then decides that MLB needs 15/15 balance. Then he waits for the Astros to have their first 100 loss season ever to minimize anyone noticing what is happening. This Houston Chronicle story gives me hope that it isn't a done deal. Ultimate Astros » Jim Crane spokesman says no movement yet toward ownership change, American League move.

I've been an Astros fan my entire life. I've watched as we lost playoffs to the Phillies, Dodgers, and Mets. Those are the teams that I hate. I have zero history with or feelings toward any AL team. Selig is trying to violate the memories of every fan who has followed the Astros since their formation in 1962 as the Colt .45s.

I sat last night watching what looked like a replay of the 1982 World Series, and Selig wants to move my Astros to the AL? I've never had any respect for him as a commissioner, but now I want to do very violent things to him.

When I say "life long fan" I mean just that. Here I am Easter 1977, five years old, and all is right with the world because I found Astros tickets in my basket that morning.

 

[yaz96]

If this is true, they sure have kept it quiet.

It would suck, in my opinion.

 

[salsadancer7]

That's what happens when you get a owner as a commissioner.

 

[DodgerKing]

I don't believe this is true. There are no reports of it anywhere. Plus they cannot simply move a team without a lot of negotiation and agreement. All teams have to be part of it as it would mean interleague play all year long

 

[Jimbo]

This was talked about a year or so ago, it seems like, maybe not quite that long ago.

The talk about this was purely speculative at the time and I think it's still that way.

 

[Will94]

The talk about this was purely speculative at the time and I think it's still that way.

Crane meets with Selig about Astros sale | MLB.com: News

Crane's group signed a sales purchase agreement in May to buy the team from Drayton McLane for $680 million, an agreement that comes with a Nov. 30 deadline. MLB reportedly has asked Crane to agree to move the Astros to the American League if he is approved.

Crane has declined requests for comment.

AND

The Astros have played in the National League for all 50 years of their existence, but a move would give each league 15 teams and pave the way for a second Wild Card team from each league. A move to the AL could add financial wrinkles for Crane, including increased travel costs and the addition of a designated hitter.

McLane previously said that he was against a move to the AL West because it would result in an increase in the number of late start times. The Astros played in the NL West from 1969 to 1993, a division that at the time included the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves.

I hope you are right, Jimbo!

 

[DodgerKing]

It wont happen anytime soon. They would have to redo the divisions and scheduling. There would have to be at least one inter league game every day with an odd number of teams in each league

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[Will94]

Part of why this is pissing me off so much is that I think MLB is using Jim Crane's shady past to blackmail him, and all of us who are Astros fans will have to pay.

Crane owns a company called Eagle USA Airfreight. It has had more than 2,000 EEOC claims filed against it, and more than 200 of them have been found to have merit in court. His company was also found guilty of war profiteering in the Iraq war.

This guy is either fit to be an owner or unfit. The more I think hear about him, the more I think that he is unfit, but I don't think that MLB could care less. My fear is that they will tell him that he has to move the Astros to the AL or they will not approve the sale because of Eagle's history of legal troubles... complete hypocrisy.

Here is a Forbe's magazine story on Jim Crane from last summer:
Why Jim Crane Could Become Baseball's Most Controversial Owner - Forbes

Here is some stuff on his EEOC troubles from page 2:

In 1997, complaints were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding Crane’s Eagle USA Airfreight and its position on hiring blacks and women of child-bearing age. The EEOC issued a scathing 104 page report (most EEOC reports are said to run 3-5 pages), found that to be true, and added that Crane’s company conducted a practice of paying “female and minority employees less than white men who do similar work; did not investigate employee complaints of sexual harassment; and destroyed evidence that the company was instructed to retain as part of the two-year EEOC investigation,” according to a Houston Chronicle article from 2000.

In the Chronicle report:

Crane told his subordinates not to hire blacks because “once you hire blacks, you can never fire them.” On other occasions, Crane explained the reason he wanted to keep blacks out of the company was that his top managers are bigoted and they would mistreat the minorities, “giving them no choice but to sue Eagle.”

Witnesses also said Crane did not permit the company to advertise job openings because he did not want to create a paper trail of unhired qualified minorities.

To discourage blacks and women from applying, Eagle managers refused to let female and minority applicants enter its secured facilities to fill out job applications. Eagle disagreed with that assessment.

Crane also warned managers not to hire women of child-bearing age because their productivity would be low. And top company officers told employees that women aren’t suitable for management positions because male managers won’t work with a woman.

And here is some stuff on the war profiteering from page 3

A further matter that will sure to raise eyebrows, Crane’s Eagle Global Logistics has settled war profiteering charges with the Justice Department. All told, EGL was sued four times by the Department of Justice.

In August 2006, Eagle paid $4 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice alleging that the company had inflated the costs of military shipments to Iraq. The company had allegedly added $0.50 for each kilogram of freight transported to Baghdad, war risk surcharges, on shipments from Dubai to Iraq from November 2003 to July 2004.

In June 2007, Eagle paid $300,000 to settle allegations of overcharging the government. Many details of the allegations are not available as civil records for the case prior to 2010 are sealed.

In November 2008, Eagle paid $750,000 to settle allegations of providing kickbacks in order to procure contracts. Many details of the allegations are not available as civil records for the case prior to 2010 are sealed.

The company was accused of conspiring with other shipping companies to price fix and overcharge the U.S. and British governments in the war effort. The Department of Justice ultimately agreed to stop pursuing the criminal charges against Eagle when Eagle fired its employees involved in the scheme, paid a $4,486,120.00 fine and agreed to cooperate in the government’s investigation. However, Chris Cahill, Eagle’s former regional VP in the Middle East and India, was jailed for 30 months beginning in August 2006, issued 2 years supervised release and a $10,000 fine (read the conviction).

In fairness to Crane, when you have a management team, likely in the thousands, you can’t mind every aspect of your business. However, the repeated nature of the war profiteering, and continued settlements – on top of the discrimination issue – bring a look to MLB’s ownership make-up not seen prior.

 

[raoul5788]

It wont happen anytime soon. They would have to redo the divisions and scheduling. Their would have to be at least one inter league game every day with an odd number of teams in each league

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They could have as many as 15 interleague games on any one day. It really wouldn't matter how many, except for the "Interleague Week" promos.

 

[Will94]

I #*#(&@%_*#$^% HATE INTERLEAGUE PLAY!

I will admit I was wrong about the Wildcard, but it's time to end this interleague garbage.

 

[Jimbo]

It wont happen anytime soon. They would have to redo the divisions and scheduling. There would have to be at least one inter league game every day with an odd number of teams in each league

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That would SUCK ....

I would rather do AWAY with Interleague games, not make them every day .... UGH.

 

[Jimbo]

Part of why this is pissing me off so much is that I think MLB is using Jim Crane's shady past to blackmail him, and all of us who are Astros fans will have to pay.

Crane owns a company called Eagle USA Airfreight. It has had more than 2,000 EEOC claims filed against it, and more than 200 of them have been found to have merit in court. His company was also found guilty of war profiteering in the Iraq war.

This guy is either fit to be an owner or unfit. The more I think hear about him, the more I think that he is unfit, but I don't think that MLB could care less. My fear is that they will tell him that he has to move the Astros to the AL or they will not approve the sale because of Eagle's history of legal troubles... complete hypocrisy.

Here is a Forbe's magazine story on Jim Crane from last summer:
Why Jim Crane Could Become Baseball's Most Controversial Owner - Forbes

Here is some stuff on his EEOC troubles from page 2:

And here is some stuff on the war profiteering from page 3

And they don't want, won't let Mark Cuban in ..... Sheeesh.

 

[cybok0]

IMO it's harder for a team to move from the NL to the AL than it is for a team to move from the AL to the NL, The team now has to find and pay for a good DH, a lot of money for someone to just sit on the bench and hit a ball. Time to get rid of the DH.

I don't understand this move, I could understand moving them to the NL west.

 

[SamCdbs]

More evidence, as if any was needed, that Bud "Light" (Kennesaw Molehill) Selig is the least qualified person to hold an important job in any field in North America. Idiotic. And, understand, that uniquely, the two Texas teams share the same territory. All of Texas and all of Louisiana exclusievly, and joint claims with other teams to all of Oklahoma and Arkansas and parts of New Mexico. Meaning, the "I support both" PC position cannot exist. You have to pick.Meaning, the NL is dead in the fastest growing state. Totally of no significance. Meaning, for example, so is any national game on ESPN or TBS involving the NL.Meaning, Bud admits, as we will now play this "interleague" foolishness every day, that the whole idea was dumb.Bud, please, retire to Florida and buy season tickets to the Marlins and leave us alone.

 

[Will94]

I don't understand this move, I could understand moving them to the NL west.

I would love to see us in the NL West. For most of my life we were in the West. I'm a night owl, so watching 9 PM baseball is awesome. I used to love watching games at Candlestick. Every pop up literally was an adventure.

 

[SamCdbs]

I would love to see us in the NL West. For most of my life we were in the West.

The "west" Houston was in included two ET teams (Cincy and Atlanta). It was a part of a deal where St. Louis and Chicago, who then (1969) had more local TV than the Reds and Braves forced the geographically illogical setup because it meant 9 less @ PT games for each. 9:00 starts are hard on TV ratings and radio ratings. Trying to undo that is what cost the last real commissioner his job.Now, of course, baseball no longer as a geometrically logical schedule (thanks, Bud) but Texas is still handicapped by being in a division with three PT teams. The NL West of today has a MT team and four PT teams (Arizona on a de facto basis). Texas has been harmed by this deal since baseball went to three divisions as all of its away games end after midnight back home.Baseball needs to help the Rangers, but you do not do that by moving the long established Astros and thus cut off Texas from any interest in the NL. Logically the team to transfer is the much younger Rockies.

 

[Will94]

If any of you care enough to try to make a difference, there is an online petition to keep the Astros in the NL.

Save Our Stros
Home

 

[Jimbo]

IMO it's harder for a team to move from the NL to the AL than it is for a team to move from the AL to the NL, The team now has to find and pay for a good DH, a lot of money for someone to just sit on the bench and hit a ball. Time to get rid of the DH.

I don't understand this move, I could understand moving them to the NL west.

DH's are a dime a dozen, Tigers had a dozen of them a few years back.

 

[cybok0]

DH's are a dime a dozen, Tigers had a dozen of them a few years back.

But how many of then were good DHs like big papi?

 

[Jimbo]

But how many of then were good DHs like big papi?

What, you think ALL teams have a GREAT DH ?

Btw, Big Papi is a Free Agent, so ANYONE can have him now.