What a weekend for Houston sports fans. One I certainly won't forget... for all the wrong reasons. After hearing the findings in the report, Crane simply felt he didn't have a choice. You have to wipe a slate that dirty (or at least portrayed to be) completely clean, and now it is. Both of those guys impact has been made, and will be missed.
More so than the GM, I think the hiring of the next manager is biggest decision in the history of the franchise. Sustained success in sports organizations begins and ends with culture. If nothing else, AJ established a culture in that clubhouse. The relationships he had with the players made them enjoy coming to ballpark everyday and playing together. That will be tough to replace, but hopefully Crane will take some of the players thoughts on some of the candidates into consideration. The opportunity is still there to be great for a long time with this core group, but they need THEIR guy on the bench, not Crane's.