Are the Astros Moving?

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Created on Friday, 15 July 2011 11:33

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 May 2013 07:51

Written by Travis Pulver

If you can’t, that’s a shame since there really has not been much for the team or its fans to cheer about since that season. To say Houston has fallen on hard times would be an understatement; these guys are not very good.

Take this season for example. The team is actually doing a decent job of hitting the ball. As of the All-Star break, the team is hitting .260, the ninth best average in the league (although they are tied with the team that MLB.com has listed at No 8, the Cincinnati Reds).

The problem is that they can’t seem to do much with the runners they get on base (No 19 with 358 scored in 92 games for an average of 3.89 runs/game). To make matters worse, they can’t seem to stop the other guys from scoring either. The pitching staff’s ERA is second to last in the league (4.68).

The silver lining to all this is that the new owner, Jim Crane, has been saying what fans want to hear; that he’ll do what it takes to make the team competitive again. Until that happens, what reason do the fans have for heading to the ballpark?

Besides their love of the hometown team and the game of baseball, they may soon have the chance to see a natural rivalry a dozen or so times a season.

Realignment has been a big part of the labor talks between the owners and baseball players, and it appears that the Houston Astros are the team that could be realigned. The likely destination would be the AL West which also happens to be the home of the Texas Rangers.

The move would make complete sense. The NL Central is the only division that has six teams; the AL West is the only division that only has four teams. What better way to achieve balance across the league?

Both the Rangers and Astros would benefit at least financially from the move. Sports fans in Texas love to support their teams, and there is no better time to show one’s pride then when their hated rival is in town.

Ask any Texas A&M fan how he/she feels when the Aggies beat the Longhorns; that kind of support is exactly what the Rangers and Astros will get if they start to play on a regular basis, several times a season.

The 2012 schedule has already been drawn up, so it is highly unlikely that the move would come next season. Depending on whom you ask, the move may not be happening anyway. Drayton McLane insists that it is not happening. There have also been reports that the sale of the team to Crane is contingent on the Astros moving to the AL. However, that report is under question as well.

Until it actually happens (or doesn’t) all the talk is just speculation and assumptions (and we all know what assuming does).