Randy Galloway’s column in today’s Star-Telegram cites sources who say that the recent shift in power at the top of the Texas Rangers organization — in which general manager Jon Daniels late last week gained the title (formerly belonging to team CEO Nolan Ryan) of president of baseball operations — could have been an even more significant change:
Texas Rangers ownership originally offered the club’s entire combo platter to the 36-year-old Daniels. Instead of general manager, he could have become Generalissimo.
Ownership, meaning Bob Simpson and Ray Davis, wanted Daniels to become the CEO in charge of both baseball and business. Isn’t that what Nolan Ryan once was around here?
Daniels didn’t want to be in charge of the business side of things, which is therefore the reason Ryan remains the CEO. (Though there have been multiple reports that Ryan may be looking to make an exit soon.) His bosses may not have given him a vote of confidence, but it was just a few months ago that a survey of C-suite executives across Dallas-Fort Worth by SMU’s Cox School of Business and D CEO named Ryan CEO of the Year for 2012.
Galloway claims there has been bad blood for years between those loyal to Daniels and those loyal to Ryan, and questions why Simpson and Davis would want to shake up a formula for success that has appeared to be working.
There are two camps: Nolan’s camp and Daniels’ camp. The bad blood on baseball decisions is probably more intense within those camps as opposed to Nolan vs. Daniels, but that tainted blood is there, period.
There is absolutely nothing cozy about the relationship.
But I’ve liked it that way. Ryan and Daniels hammer it out, eventually get things done for the most part and the team’s success over the last four years shows us it’s been a good, although interesting, way of doing business.
This way was working. Why in the name of common sense do the owners want to change it?
