A McLane Retrospective

The Houston Chronicle broke a huge story this week when they found out that Drayton McLane was very close to selling the team to local businessman Jim Crane in 2008. The two had agreed on a price and were set to work out the particulars when the economy started going owner. McLane had always said the team was not for sale, but apparently that is not exactly true. Chalk that up as yet another spin from the master of spin.

Maybe that isn’t fair. My home is not officially for sale, but if someone knocked on the door and offered significantly more than what it is worth I’m sure my wife and I would become motivated sellers. I’m sure most of you are in the same boat, so maybe accusing McLane of spinning here is a bit unfair. After all, he’s always talking about being a champion and you can tell we are well on our way based on the off-season we have had so far.

I don’t think McLane has the engine running and the tailgate down, but if one guy can come that close to buying the team then McLane may be unofficially looking to get out. Also, some of my readers have asked for a long look at McLane, so I thought I would look at his legacy in Houston and a critical look at his ownership at the same time. Besides, what else are we going to talk about?

The club has won six division championships in the club’s history and been to the playoffs eight times. All but two of those have come in McLane’s tenure. Everything should start there if we are to be completely fair. Two of the team’s biggest stars played almost all of their careers during his ownership. The town’s arguably biggest icon also was reeled in by McLane.

McLane’s most lasting legacy will likely be Minute Maid Park. As someone that has seen quite a few of the newer parks, it’s really hard to say whether it is the best among those. The beauty of these newer parks is that they all have their charm. Minute Maid Park is among that group and having that park guarantees good revenue for the club. The television and radio deals have also expanded under his ownership. For us, we just know that place is a damn sight better than the Dome was.

So, when we criticize McLane we must keep all of the previous points in mind. He has been more successful than any other Astros owner. That being said, you can’t help but feel the same way about Drayton McLane that Dallas Cowboys fans feel about Jerry Jones. Jones has won more Superbowls than previous Cowboy owners. He has made more money for the franchise and he parlays that money into the talent on the field. It is the perfect match of marketing and desire to win. Still, you can’t help but think something is missing.

In both cases, the answer is themselves. Both meddle too much. Jones has at least cast away the appearances and named himself the general manager. Well, in the famous words about people that represent themselves in court, the owner that handles his own personnel has an idiot for a general manager. McLane hasn’t gone that far, but the constraints on management have grown as the tenure has gone. Funny, the level of success has decreased as his influence has increased.

Money can’t buy love and it can’t buy championships either. No one can question McLane’s commitment to winning in the general sense. $110 million has to be enough to win because we have seen too many teams win with less. However, 110 million isn’t enough by itself. After all, the Yankees lost after spending more than 200 million in 2008. They spent less this season and won. Sure, it was still over 200 million, but it happened to be the right 200 million.

McLane is a complex guy. On the one hand, he has been very generous with the budget. On the other hand, he hasn’t been very patient or supportive of his people. He doesn’t let them do what they think is best. His managers and general managers have averaged three years this decade. Having money to spend is nice, but having the power to choose a plan of action is nicer. Astros management hasn’t had that since Gerry Hunsicker left. That is why they have gone downhill quickly since he left. All of that goes in the McLane file if/when he sells the team.