Given all the hand-wringing in the Metroplex over the Nolan Ryan saga, there are a few pieces out in the last few hours that say the Astros should bring the Ryan Express back to Houston. Regard:
ESPN's Johnette Howard:
Besides, the Astros are so adrift that fixing them is a huge job for
just one man. They've gotten big and small things wrong for years on the
field and in the community. It's almost incomprehensible to read that
in this day and age, even their local TV coverage stinks. Their games
are on TV only about 40 percent of the time...Ryan would know how to handle that.
ESPNDallas' Richard Durrett:
The last thing this ownership group should want is for Ryan to leave. I
say that not only because of the public relations nightmare but also
because Ryan still has value. Just because Daniels is the guy running
the day-to-day activities of baseball operations doesn't mean Ryan
doesn't matter.
ESPNDallas' Jean-Jaques Taylor:
And if you have to choose between having a terrific 66-year-old or a
terrific 35-year-old guy run an organization, you should bet on youth
every time.
And Jose de Jesus Ortiz brought some noise:
With a major league record seven no-hitters and toughness that embodies
Texas and gritty Houston, Ryan is arguably the greatest name in Astros
history. If the Rangers are silly enough to let him walk away, the Ryan
Express needs to park at Minute Maid Park forever.
I'm still figuring out how I feel about this. Your thoughts?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
