I realize that the sale of the team will not actually take place today, and that Bud Selig's "deadline" is really just to establish which group will get exclusive negotiating rights to buy the team, but my feelings are still the same.
There are no numbers or stats that support my feelings, simply a strong tug on my gut that really just wants to see Tom Hicks tip his hat and leave the organization.
First, let me give him credit for the good he has done in recent years. The organization is as strong as it has been during my fanhood lifetime. The farm system is strong, I like the manager, and overall I feel good about the direction of the team.
However, there is still something seems to be holding the team back, and I think at the root of the problem is Hicks.
Since I don't work for the team, I have no idea how much direct work he does with the team, or if he really only signs the checks and figures into the really big deals, but it seems to me that his time has come to walk away.
Anyone who follows sports very much has seen many occasions where a team is on the cusp of great success, lacking only one change that ultimately leads them to a championship. For some teams it is a longtime owner, or a fan favorite player, or a manager that just can't quite seem to ever get that big win.
For the Rangers, I think Hicks is that guy.
As I stated before, he has done some great things for the organization, including bringing in Jon Daniels (who I admittedly did not like at first), finally bringing Nolan Ryan back into the organization, and hiring Ron Washington, who has done a fabulous job of managing a team that has been young, old, healthy, and injured all at the same time.
But now it just seems like his heart isn't in it anymore.
We all know how rumors can hurt a team, and I can't help but think that the rumors of the team being sold weren't at least a small distraction to the players, and maybe even more importantly, a deterrent to potential free agents.
I also can't help but notice that I have heard no mention of him selling the Dallas Stars or his share of the EPL club that he owns.
What that says to me is that the Rangers are third on his list of priorities. I honestly don't have any problem with that, but if that is indeed the case, it is time for him to move on and pass the reins to someone who can put more of their heart into it.
I personally would like to see Nolan Ryan play a major role with whichever group buys the team because I think his influence had the greatest impact on the team's improvement this year. He is a great baseball mind that understands the toughness necessary to win consistently, which is something many teams lack.
In the end Hicks will continue to fly around in his Gulfstream and do whatever he wants, but if for just a second he stops and cares about the fans, he will realize it is time to move on and allow someone else to take it from here.
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