T.R. Sullivan has a lengthy blog post on a lot of issues, including the departure of Chuck Greenberg. For those revisionist historians who are choosing to minimize Chuck Greenberg's role in the purchase of the team, T.R. -- who now, essentially, works for the people who forced him out -- has this to say:
Ryan is in complete charge without constraint, possibly for the first time since he was hired in 2008. Presumably others will slip back into the background. The front office is full again, with vice-presidents in place in all areas and Rick George in place as chief operating officer.
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We know now that the Rangers had slipped into financial chaos in the waning years of Tom Hicks ownership. They were shackled with severe financial constraints, good people were walking out the door and the Ballpark was being battered by unending construction swirling around it.
Hicks had to sell. New owners were needed. Candidates emerged and many weren't Nolan Ryan-friendly. It is pretty obvious that Ryan wasn't going to work with Dennis Gilbert, Jim Crane or Mark Cuban. It was pretty obvious that if others had prevailed, Ryan most likely would have last been seen heading south.
He would only work with Greenberg. That was clear. That was also Greenberg's strongest selling point as he put together the heavyweight financial group that now makes up Rangers Baseball Express.
Ryan was the marquee name, both in Texas and - more importantly - in New York. Major League Baseball clearly wanted Ryan involved and Greenberg was shrewd enough to hitch his fate to the brightest star. Otherwise he doesn't get through the front door in Texas or New York.
Greenberg, through it all, still did all the heavy lifting. He was the one who made it all happen, navigating and carrying the deal all the way through the mind-boggling ordeal to an ultimately successful conclusion.
Did he save the franchise? No. The Rangers weren't going anywhere. Did he get the Rangers to the World Series? No. That goes on others resumes.
Greenberg though was instrumental in cleaning up one huge mess and keeping Ryan firmly in place at the head of the organization. As Commissioner Selig said, it didn't happen by accident.
Read the whole thing.