Nolan Ryan is Leaving the Astros Organization and He Sounds Pissed
In wake of his son's unceremonious demotion from the team president role, Nolan Ryan has decided to leave his post as an advisor to the Houston Astros. This was a decision he did not convey through traditional means; no, Ryan simply texted a member of the local media. And he kept things brutally brief.
Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan says in a text message he will not continue in his role as an executive advisor to the owner of the #Astros: “I will not be back with the club and will leave it at that.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 7, 2019
This is a pretty big deal. The Express is part of the fabric of the Houston Astros, so much so that he and his family own the Astros’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Houston Astros owner Jim Crane for his part, seemed to be slightly caught off guard by this proclamation from Ryan.
Owner Jim Crane: “Nolan Ryan’s contract with the Astros as an executive advisor runs through Feb/2020. If Nolan has decided to step down that is his decision. Nolan will always be welcome at Minute Maid Park and at any Astros-related activities.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 7, 2019
The fact that Nolan didn't even directly communicate with Crane shows that there has to be much more brewing behind the scenes than we currently know. Perhaps Ryan was so offended by the demotion of his son he decided to take a stand and not return until Reid was reinstated.
Or perhaps Nolan Ryan had no plans of returning to begin with. We'll all be anxiously awaiting clarification of this unfortunately tense situation in H-Town.