It infuriated me that Crane bent over and took it in the ass on the league change, and of course it infuriates me that Crane bent over again and took it up the ass on this bullshit. Somehow this is even worse. Every good team in the league is or was doing some shit like this, it is only the Astros that are getting pilloried, and Crane is perfectly happy to be complicit in the hail storm of criticism and mockery by sucking Manfred’s cock the whole way through.
It is fucking disgusting and I can’t see how anyone could possibly have any part of a franchise owned and operated by such a motherfucking coward.
Perhaps I’m in the minority, or by myself even, but I don’t get the anger towards Crane. My only issue with Crane right now is that he hasn’t fired enough people for what went on. We, the fans, obviously don’t know near as much about what went on as Crane himself now does since the investigation is complete. We only know the report and articles like yesterday about Beltran which are going to continue to trickle out. I’m sure MLB informed Crane about a wide range of shady/sneaky stuff which wasn’t in the report. There was obviously a lot of shit going on behind Crane’s back that he, rightly or wrongly, was trusting Luhnow and Hinch to handle. Former Astros players are now on record as saying Beltran basically ran the clubhouse. Crane is trusting Luhnow and Hinch, as people he has hired in positions of authority over these players, to have over site and run things the right way. And AJ can’t stand up to Beltran and tell him to knock this shit off? Crane should have fired his ass.
I don’t remember too many people complaining about Crane when rings were being passed out. He was being hailed as a hero by most. I think Crane is a good owner and is trying his best to make chicken salad out of chicken shit. Perhaps Crane could be faulted for not being involved enough to see some of this himself before it got this far? That could be a fair critique, but at least now he’s hopefully learned his lesson and is trying to clean it up.
Among who knows how many deserving others, his team is being singled out for punishment, criticism and ridicule, and he is accepting it without the slightest whimper.
If he is not willing to defend his own organization publicly in any way, then whoever it was that said it, Bob, I think, is quite right - it is never going to get any better.
While I understand your point, and I actually agree with the sentiment, what do you want Crane to do? Hold a presser and demand all other teams be investigated because he/we feel they were doing the same thing? What would that accomplish? It might make some Astros fans feel better but it isn’t going to force the league’s hand. Without another Fiers’ like smoking gun that is impossible to ignore, the league is done after the Red Sox announcement. Just like PED’s, they want it to go away ASAP. As bad as I hate to say it, only another rat or an investigative reporter wanting the next big story will advance this.
Crane jumping up and down crying foul about other teams is like a bank robber trying to plea his case because of others who have robbed a bank and didn’t get caught. It just angers everyone else in the baseball world because it looks like you don’t sincerely believe that your own breaking of the rules was a problem. Best course is to cut loose the folks responsible, get the players to SINCERELY apologize for the embarrassment they have caused the city and franchise and then move on as best you can.
Possibly, but season ticket holders also sat behind the dugout and had to hear banging. I never heard any conspiracy theories being floated about the banging from them. Unless you are a player who is taught to be paranoid and look for things like this in the game, there could have probably been a freight train plowing thru the dugout and the general public in the stands, including Crane, isn’t gonna hear it or pay attention to it.
But speaking of someone or some group who should have been aware, where were the umpires in all of this? Haven’t heard them discussed or mentioned at all. Not once did an umpire crew call a series in Houston and not wonder what was going on? Not report something about banging or suspicious noises to the incoming crew or league? Seems like the umpires should have at least been aware that something suspicious was going on.
Crane is a total wuss. I’ve always though that. But at least he let the baseball guys run things. A year ago many people were saying he was the best Houston pro franchise owner ever. From a PR standpoint, what should his public stance on the scandal have been? Was he wrong to fire Hinch and Luhnow?
Crane could have hired one of the general manager candidates that worked inside the MLB executive office, like Peter Woodfork. Instead, he hired James Click, a person that was considered an integral component of one of the most forward-thinking organizations in MLB.
I can’t tell what is driving Crane (he does have co-owners and who knows what his relationship with Luhnow was), but PR people are likely being consulted about all this and they just totally misjudged the way social media can carry on and on and on about this stuff.
I am going to an event at the Negro League Museum tonight, and Manfred will be there. Any messages? This will be similar to the evening I was standing next to Selig at a Scottsdale restaurant.