Subject:

Jim Crane

  • Blogs

    May 22, 2012

    Is Minute Maid Park (Finally) Going To Lose Tal's Hill?

    There were basically two people who love Tal's Hill, the gimmicky hill in Minute Maid Park's centerfield, and one of them was named Tal. The other was former owner Drayton McLane, who installed the hill, which has no other reason for existence, because his buddy Tal Smith remembered some old ballpa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 18, 2012

    10 Suggestions For Improving the Poorly Ranked Astros Radio Broadcasts

    Baseball blog and stats-geek delight Fangraphs did a little post over the weekend ranking the radio broadcasts of the 30 major league teams (h/t to Crawfish Boxes). There's nothing really shocking in the rankings, unless you count the Astros radio broadcast team only finishing at number 23 -- they'r ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 26, 2012

    Rockets Mediocrity: Blame the Strategy of the Owner

    There's something unholy about a team playing out the string of games knowing it won't make the playoffs. It's even weirder when said team felt its season end with a thud after a horrid stretch of games that lasted right up until the second-to-last game of the year. Going one step farther, that game ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 6, 2012

    25 Random Thoughts on This Upcoming Astros Season

    The Astros season starts today, and since I'm always in search of a cheap and easy post, I thought I would throw out some random thoughts about the Astros heading into the season. 25. The first Astros pitcher to collect a loss will be Brett Myers when he blows a save -- that save will probably be ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Baseballs, Wieners and Ketchup

    Spring training is just around the corner. The players are oiling up their gloves, creasing their brims and preparing to chew, spit and rearrange themselves through another 162 games. I love baseball. I don't care that it is the slowest and most idiosyncratic of all professional sports. The on ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2012

    25 Positive Thoughts As The Astros Head off to Spring Training

    Jed Lowrie could be the Astros' best all-around shortstop since Dickie Thon, if he stays healthy​Spring training begins for Major League Baseball next week, and that means the Astros will be reporting to camp in Florida and prepping for the upcoming season -- yes, despite whatever happened las ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 8, 2012

    Astros Media Day Kicks Off 2012 Season -- 5 Early Storylines

    In sandlot football growing up, we always had a saying after touchdowns that "losers walk," meaning the team that scored stays at that end of he field to kick off and the "losers" on defense have to march to the other end of the field to receive. So it's probably appropriate that, due to the NBA c ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    20 Modest Fan Suggestions for Jim Crane

    The word from on-high came earlier this week when the Houston Astros announced that Jim Crane had heard the voice of the fans and thus would not be changing the team's name. It's nice that Crane paid some attention to the people who buy tickets (though it does seem strange to see how many people co ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 26, 2012

    Comment of the Day: Astros Name Change Edition

    ​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 26, 2012

    5 Musicians Who Changed Their Names to Inspire Jim Crane and the Astros

    ​This week, the new owner of the Houston Astros Jim Crane opened Pandora's Box of Hearty Suggestions For A Struggling Franchise and discussed changes to the team. Cheap beer (yay!), cheaper seats (double yay!) should be one of the first things but Crane suggested that the Astros do the unthink ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 25, 2012

    Shhhhh, Don't Tell Anyone, but the Rockets Are Playing Really Well

    While everyone was cheering on the Texans and fretting about whether or not Jim Crane would go completely nuts and change the Astros to the Craniums, a funny thing was happening at Toyota Center. The Rockets were winning. They have won their last seven games and are 8-2 in the last ten. During this ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 24, 2012

    The Astros Lowering Ticket and Beer Prices, Maybe Changing Unis and the Name?

    I've written a lot of snark about Jim Crane in the months since he purchased the Astros. And let's be honest, I'll probably have a lot more snark in the days, months and years ahead. But let's be more honest, there's a lot that Crane has done with this team since assuming full control of the franc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 24, 2012

    The Astros Allowing Outside Food Inside Next Season: Our Suggestions

    The minor explosions you may have heard yesterday were the heads of Astros' fans imploding over news that new owner Jim Crane could possibly change the name of the franchise next season -- as well as its uniforms, ticket prices and Minute Maid Park's food policies. It's starting to feel like the beg ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 24, 2012

    The Astros May Be Changing Their Name? My 5 Suggestions

    Yesterday afternoon, Astros owner Jim Crane built up more good will with the Houston community in about eight minutes than the team on the field has in the last six years when he announced that the 2012 season will feature cheaper beer ($5 beers!), cheaper tickets and permission to bring your own f ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2012

    The Astros Lead the "Crazy Sounding Job Title" Standings; Six More to Consider

    Most of you have probably been paying attention to the Houston Texans, what with them actually making the playoffs for the first time in team history. But there are other professional sports teams in this city, and one of those teams made some front-office moves last week, moves that will hopefully ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 23, 2011

    The Year In Astros Baseball: Thank God That's Over

    ​So let's continue our look back at the sporting year that was 2011 by taking a look at the Top 25 events to happen to the Houston Astros. 1. They finished with the worst record in team history, which was quite the accomplishment seeing as how the Astros were pretty damn bad for most of the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 29, 2011

    Comment of the Day: Don't Get Too Excited About the Astro Front-Office Firings

    We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 28, 2011

    Astros Fire Ed Wade & Tal Smith: The New Era Begins

    Where have you gone, Ed Wade? A nation's no-hit, aging, injury-prone free agent infielders turn their lonely eyes to you. Where have you gone, Ed Wade? A nation's worth of middle relievers looking for multimillion contracts turn their lonely eyes to you. Ed Wade is gone. So is Tal Smith. Jim C ... More >>

  • News

    November 24, 2011

    Turkeys of the Year 2011

    We combed through an abundance of riches this year to bring you the best of the worst

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2011

    It's Official, Houston: You Live in an American League City Now

    Change is....bad.​Pretty much as Peter Gammons called it last month, Major League Baseball owners have approved the sale of the Astros to businessman Jim Crane, and the move of the team to the American League. The move tosses away more than a half-century of tradition: The Astros have been in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2011

    The Astros Are Heading To The Promised Land -- The American League!

    Say hello to Yankee Fan​As a major league sport, baseball has always done a fairly good job of keeping itself relevant throughout the calendar year. (Football is the king of year-round relevancy. Basketball is the court jester. Baseball lies somewhere in between.) November is normally a fun b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2011

    20 Ways the Astros Are Still Losing Even Though They're Not Playing

    Yep, Ed Wade's even a fool in the movies.​This past season was a painful one to watch and endure for Houston Astros fans. But even in the off-season the painful hits just keep on coming. 20. The owner of the Texas Rangers, Nolan Ryan, is getting plenty of airtime from Fox and TBS every nigh ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 14, 2011

    Astros To The American League: The Logical Argument To Stop The Move

    ​Ever since the Peter Gammons tweet on Wednesday about the Astros sale to be approved in November as well as the Astros being moved to the American League, there's been a firestorm of anger and panic emitting from what few Astros fans remain. Yesterday, one group even started an internet peti ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 12, 2011

    Astros to AL with Jim Crane As Owner, Peter Gammons Says

    Hello, AL West.​Peter Gammons probably has the best sources in Major League Baseball, and he's got news: The Astros sale to Jim Crane will be approved in mid-November, and the team will switch to the American League. Gammons tweets the sale "is expected to go through," so there's some wriggle ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 30, 2011

    Carlos Lee May Retire...

    ...after his contract is up next year! There, now you know how I felt yesterday when I read that headline. In this day and age where there are so many different places to swallow up news, we see tweets or vague headlines and the human tendency is to fill in the blanks. So when I saw one of the t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 29, 2011

    Dis-Astros Season Mercifully Comes to an End and That's the Good News

    Early in spring training, some cockeyed optimists probably opined to one another about how if things went just right for the Astros this year, well dad gummit, we could have ourselves quite the little season. And then reality kicked in. The Astros ended their season last night with their 106th loss ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 9, 2011

    Astros Suitor Jim Crane Emerges to Dis MLB and the Houston Press

    The Press story on Crane's divorce​Jim Crane, the guy who's probably not going to end up buying the Astros from Drayton McLane, emerged from hiding via an exclusive interview with the Houston Chronicle. He says he's frustrated that Major League Baseball seems to be interested in his paying fi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 7, 2011

    Rejected Dejected: Astros Waiting Around For MLB To Do Something About Jim Crane

    Somebody finalize this deal already​It's known as the Rejected/Dejected shot. The camera focusing on the batter as he walks back to the dugout after having just struck out, usually on a called strike. It's one of those shots that best captures the emotion of the game and helps to bring the v ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 3, 2011

    Is Drayton McLane Really the Best Astros Owner Ever?

    John McMullen, former Astros owner​Sometime this month the 29 MLB owners will approve the purchase of the Houston Astros by Jim Crane. Drayton McLane, the man selling the Astros, will be referred to as the greatest owner in Astros history. The man who turned the team into a winner. Who took ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 27, 2011

    The Astros Curse: They Are The Damned

    The Astros have been damned​The following is based on true facts, but names have been redacted to protect the innocent, and not so innocent... The Houston Astros are a bad baseball team this season. They're beyond bad. They're beyond awful. They're closing in on worst team in MLB history b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 25, 2011

    15 Reasons To Keep Watching The Astros

    Watch Ed Wade try to line up another job with the Phillies​I know most of you have probably tuned out on the Astros by the now. Hell, most of you probably tuned out on the Astros back in March. But it's still over a month until the Texans start disappointing everybody again. The NBA may not ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 29, 2011

    25 Positive Statements About The Houston Astros

    I'm positive that the Astros would have been better off with these three guys in charge​As it hard as it might be to believe, there are some people, friends even, who think I'm being too negative toward the Astros. They'd like for me to say something positive, something that might, hopefully, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 15, 2011

    Astros Pitching Coach Brad Arnsberg Fired: Four Things to Watch

    You're outta here.​"It was philosophical differences between a manager and a general manager and a pitching coach. I don't want to get into the details. It's just been kind of rearing its ugly head the last two, three weeks, and I guess they felt like they had to make a move for the betterment ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 15, 2011

    20 Things the Astros Can Do Now to Save the Season

    And today's scapegoat is...​When you're the worst team in the major leagues, and when attendance is falling off, and when the only thing people want to talk about is you switching leagues so they can see the Yankees and Red Sox more often, then you're a team that has problems. Serious problem ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 13, 2011

    Astros To The American League? That's The Latest Rumor

    Wait, what, the Astros to the AL?​If you were at one of the Astros games this weekend against the Braves -- and judging by the attendance figures, many of you weren't -- then you were probably annoyed by the idiot Braves fans doing that stupid tomahawk chop thing they do. But things could be ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 13, 2011

    MLB Realignment -- I Want The Astros In The American League (And I'm Bright!)

    "I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb!"​Your Houston Astros lost 4-1 to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon to drop their record on the 2011 season to 24-42, the worst record in all of Major League Baseball. The Astros are a bad baseball team that is thoroughly uninteresting. As ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 30, 2011

    11 Modest Suggestions For Jim Crane

    ​After the Astros lose to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, the 2011 MLB season will be one-thirds complete. And while it was expected the Astros would be bad, being the worst team in the National League was not expected -- an injury-depleted Minnesota Twins are the only thing keeping the Astr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 19, 2011

    Houston Astros & Minute Maid Park Begin Process for Covert Name Change

    Craig Hlavaty​Yesterday while filming segments for KIAH's "Newsfix" in the monument park at Minute Maid Park, my camera crew and I came across this sign, defaced for your pleasure. It looked as if the sign had been modified for some time, as there were no pieces of the departed "M" near the sc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 18, 2011

    So You Want to Own a Baseball Team? Baseball Financing 101

    ​There are a lot of stories coming out about how the Astros are going to face a long climb to respectability. About how all of the team's problems can't be solved by spending money. About how we're just going to have to be patient while Jim Crane's baseball people rebuild the mess left behin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2011

    The Astros' Jim Crane Era Begins: Get Caught Up On The Team With This Quiz

    Do you recognize this man?​For the first time in a long time, the Houston Astros will not be led by a hyper, motto-spouting grocery magnate. Drayton McLane has sold the team to Houston businessman Jim Crane. It may be the first piece of Astro news you've bothered with this year. The team was ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 17, 2011

    Changes at 1560: Is KGOW Losing Its KAPOW?

    Our April 6 cover on KGOW.​In April, our cover story featured the irreverent, independent nature of local sports radio station KGOW 1560 The Game. It appears both of those characteristics may be on their way out as changes at the station inch them closer to the mainstream. Longtime program di ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 16, 2011

    The Drayton McLane Era -- Asking That One Question

    Plus: this. Minus: Tim Purpura​The end of the Drayton McLane Era as owner of the Astros is imminent. With today's announcement that local businessman Jim Crane's purchase of our hometown ball club, we can begin to evaluate the "Houston Astros, version McLane" in full. There are a handful o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 13, 2011

    Astros Finally Sold, Or So It Appears

    ​Ding, dong, the wicked witch is dead. The Astros have, it appears, finally been sold. At least that's what Drayton McLane has told Mark Berman over at Fox 26. The papers are still being finalized, though it is hoped that the parties will sign off on the sale next week. McLane was not wil ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 18, 2011

    The Drayton and Milo Show: Somewhere, Two Villages Are Missing Their Idiots

    ​Drayton McLane visited with Milo Hamilton during Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres. As is usual whenever Milo's in the booth, it was already impossible to know what was actually happening during the game because Milo doesn't believe in talking about the events occurring on the fie ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 6, 2010

    Mark Cuban: With Nolan Ryan Out, It's Now Up To You To Save The Astros

    Mark Cuban: Houston needs you, desperately​My dream for the Houston Astros was destroyed very, very early on Thursday morning when Nolan Ryan and his business partner, Chuck Greenberg, won the bankruptcy bidding for the Texas Rangers. I've written before that I was hoping Ryan's bid would lose, an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 27, 2010

    Nolan Ryan: Abandon The Rangers And Run The Astros, Please

    We'll take sloppy seconds if that Rangers deal falls through​The news is that Drayton McLane is still attempting to sell the Houston Astros. After the laughingstock that he turned this franchise into, I can't say that I blame him for wanting to dump the club on anybody who will meet his financial ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 16, 2009

    Drayton Sells Astros, Almost

    ​Hey kids, guess what? Drayton McLane is a liar.I'm not shocked by that. I used to work for the guy. But apparently people at the Houston Chronicle are surprised that Drayton lied to them about trying to sell the team after the 2008 season. A local businessman, Jim Crane, even entered into a hands ... More >>

  • News

    June 8, 2000

    Letters 06-08-2000

    ​Hey kids, guess what? Drayton McLane is a liar.I'm not shocked by that. I used to work for the guy. But apparently people at the Houston Chronicle are surprised that Drayton lied to them about trying to sell the team after the 2008 season. A local businessman, Jim Crane, even entered into a hands ... More >>

  • News

    May 25, 2000

    Transferring assets

    Two teens are shuttled back and forth across the country as their mother and father (belatedly) fight over who gets to keep them

  • More >>
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