Tom Hicks Denies MLB Is Controlling Ranger Finances

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 12, 2009 3:58 PM CDT

T.R. Sullivan has a story up, with quotes from Tom Hicks this afternoon denying recent reports that MLB is basically controlling the Rangers finances:

"We are free to operate the Texas Rangers baseball operations in the normal course of business, consistent with our budget and normal business practices," Hicks said. "There is nothing from Major League Baseball that restricts us. There are no restrictions, as long as we stay within our budget.

"All decisions being made are being made by myself, [team president] Nolan Ryan and [general manager] Jon Daniels, and not by Major League Baseball."

Hicks specifically refutes the recent stories that Texas didn't sign Matt Purke because MLB didn't let him. Hicks says the Rangers offered $4 million, and the Purke family wouldn't consider less than $6 million.

According to Sullivan, the Rangers were willing to take on Adrian Beltre's salary after Michael Young got hurt, but couldn't do a deal, and have generally not been a ward of the state, as has been presented.

Read the article for more.

Tweet Comment 25 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Who are we suppose to believe?

Hicks, Ryan and Daniels or Galloway and Reeves?

The truth lies somehwere in the middle.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

by RangerMad on Sep 12, 2009 4:00 PM CDT reply actions

I'm not completely sure that Galloway isn't making it up as he goes along.

by TheCrow471 on Sep 12, 2009 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Not surprised. Galloway is lost in time

The world was perfect in the mid 90’s to him, when Jimmy Johnson was coaching the Cowboys with Norv Turner and Dave Wanstadt as assistants, and Johnny Oates and Doug Melvin in charge of the Rangers. Ever since then he’s bitched and bitched. Someone change his freaking record.

by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Sep 12, 2009 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions

x

The world was perfect in the mid 90’s to him, when Jimmy Johnson was coaching the Cowboys with Norv Turner and Dave Wanstadt as assistants,

Well, that much is true, anyway.

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 12, 2009 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Actually

I don’t think there was ever any overlap between Jimmy Johnson as Cowboys coach and Oates and Melvin being with the Rangers.

I know that Wannstadt was never here when Melvin and Oates were.

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 12, 2009 4:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I think there is little incentive to RG and Reeves to make this up.

They’ve made a killing slamming JD and Hicks. I don’t see what they have to gain by intentionally going after Bud, especially with false claims.

Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D

by rooster on Sep 12, 2009 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Why would anybody ever believe a thing Tom Hicks says?

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"

by Josey Wales on Sep 12, 2009 4:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Someone could replace "Tom Hicks" with "Randy Galloway" in that sentence...

…just as easily.

"I love winning." - rockin_rangers, on May 16, 2009

by ghtd36 on Sep 12, 2009 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions

When has Galloway lied?

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"

by Josey Wales on Sep 12, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions

When has Tom Hicks lied?

Searching for a way to predict injuries - TexasLeaguers.com

by NoNameOnCard on Sep 13, 2009 12:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Can't Wait Until Hicks is Gone

The Rangers will be a hell of a team for the next owner, but Hicks has worn out his welcome in Dallas.

by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Sep 12, 2009 4:06 PM CDT reply actions

They'll be a hell of a team if

this situation doesn’t bury the franchise in the mean time. Needing to sell players can really kill a franchise.

by Brett Perryman on Sep 12, 2009 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions

+ 1 Beat it Bozo!

HH is that a sock in your puppet or are you happy to see me?

by BigGuns on Sep 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm going to choose to believe this

Why? Because I really don’t want to think about the Rangers finances right now when we could possibly see the have to play a handful of doubleheaders on the road to decide their playoff fates.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 12, 2009 4:12 PM CDT reply actions

contradictory statement

There are no restrictions, as long as we stay within our budget.

Well if the budget is set by someone else, doesn’t that count as a restriction?

"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out

by tricer on Sep 12, 2009 4:17 PM CDT reply actions

He's talking about their own budget.

It’s the same restriction every team has, don’t spend more money than you have.

by MikeEl on Sep 12, 2009 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

If they stay within thier budget

then they don’t have to go back to MLB and ask for more $$$.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

by RangerMad on Sep 12, 2009 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

The difference

between this article and the others is that this is coming straight from the owner and is denying unfounded speculations in very clear language that leaves no doubt about what they’re trying to get across. That’s against two articles with no sources which are based mostly on pure speculation and really make no actual sense. To me it’s pretty clear which one has the ring of truth to it.

by MikeEl on Sep 12, 2009 4:22 PM CDT reply actions

Yep, that's what I'm inclined to think

Or that’s what I want to be inclined to think anyway.

Hank is 7 runs below a zombie replacement at first base. Do you realize how terrible that is? Zombie’s can’t think, they’re slow, and they’re often ejected from the game for eating opposing baserunners’ brains. - Ben quantifies Hank Blalock

by LSJ on Sep 12, 2009 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Since these quotes are attributed directly to Hicks,

and all the cloak and dagger Galloway gossip is attributed to noone, i believe this. Randy Galloway is unreliable on facts, and pure wack in his opinions. We’re fools for believing/reading him.

by jcAustin on Sep 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT reply actions

Gallowat said on the the day of the Pudge trade

that Pudge asked the Astros to trade him. (I believe it was on his radio show.) However, Pudge said in an interview when ho got here that he had to think about waiving his no trade clause when he was told of the trade.

I think RG like to take 1+1 and try to come up with 3.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

by RangerMad on Sep 12, 2009 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Try 0+0=shit against the wall

Galloway math.

"I’m not in the meetings and not part of the discussions; it’s not my responsibility. . My responsibility is to go out and win tonight. My focus is to win tonight. The club has to look at more than just this year." -Michael Young

by randyd on Sep 12, 2009 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

So, I've deleted the Bud is a two-timing Bitch.

He’s still that, of course, but apparently not because he shot down the Purke deal.

However, strictly speaking, Hicks never actually says the Rangers had the budget to go to $6M, and he often points out restrictions would come into play if they exceeded their budget. Presumably, the restrictions would be known ahead of time, and, if that i the case, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if the Rangers asked for an exception and were denied.

Some truth to RG and Reeves, I suspect. Some truth to Hicks’ statement as well.

I’m really impressed that Hicks made this long statement just because I started a thread called “Bud is a two-timing bitch”.

Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D

by rooster on Sep 12, 2009 7:46 PM CDT reply actions

"Hicks never actually says the Rangers had the budget to go to $6M"

RG said the Rangers were not allowed to offer more than 2.3 or sometyhing like that.

Rangers never ‘asked’ if they could go to 6.0 according to Dicks’ quotes.

Jeeez, the players JD picked up in the Tex trade have barely made any kind of meaningful contributions to the Rangers in The Show, but the pro-JD crowd is still running around shouting "I told ya so."

by red3biggs on Sep 13, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions