Houston Astros: 3 Ways New Ownership Can Change the Culture of a Team

While losing may seem like the norm now a days for the Houston Astros and their fans, neither group is used to this.

From 1997 to 2005, the Astros made the playoffs six times. These postseason appearances included: a franchise record 102 wins in 1998, the franchise's first ever playoff series victory in 2004 and the first and only World Series appearance in 2005. Fans who remember these years are not used to losing.

For most of the players if not all of them, they were the guys in high school and college that made their team one of the best in their league. So losing is not something that many have gone through.

While you cannot blame losing completely on management, it does have a lot to do with it.

A new owner, new general manager and even a new skipper may be just what the doctor ordered to bring the winning culture back to the Space City.

1. New Owner

Drayton McLane did plenty of great things for the Astros.

He took over a franchise that had been to the playoffs only three times in their 31 seasons and turned it into a perennial contender making the playoffs six times in his 18 years as owner.

Drayton always had the “win-now” attitude and while it was great at first, it depleted the farm system, depleted the available payroll, and led to the downfall of the team.

A new owner brings hope.

With a new outlook, the Astros could finally return to the top where most current fans expect the team to be.

2. New General Manager

Ed Wade has generally been viewed as a terrible general manager in his time with the Astros. 

He made several trades that saw a number of young prospects being shipped out for an aging veteran, and several deals with his former team leaving some to wonder which team he actually works for.

While some of these deals may still turn out to work for the team, a new GM is needed.

Could the Astros possibly lure in Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane to bring his “Moneyball” approach to a team that is looking to cut costs?

Or do the Astros go after the homegrown talent in Associate GM of the Rays, Andrew Friedman, who has helped turn around the Rays Franchise?

Either way, it's an exciting time as the Astros decide who will help build this team for the future.

3. New Players

There really are not any fan favorites so getting rid of the current faces may not be a bad thing.

New owners and new GM’s want to bring in their guys, or the guys that fit where they see the franchise going. Just having a clear plan of what the management is trying to accomplish could work wonders for the psyche of the team.

We may also see more young players given the chance to prove themselves at the big league level as the new owners would want to try and lure in more fans with the promise of seeing potential future superstars.

Maybe the Astros give Dallas Keuchel, Koby Clemens, or Jonathan Villar a shot to see what they can do.

Whatever happens, in this case, change is a good thing.