A Ranger Quckly Rides Into the Sunset

I couldn't believe what I was hearing on the radio as I was in the process of waking up yesterday morning: Chuck Greenberg was resigning as CEO of the Rangers? Surely that was crazy talk that could only be attributed to my early-morning grogginess. After all, he just got here! Surely he's not leaving already?

But as the day went on, it was obvious that the news was true: Greenberg is out--selling his stake in the team and everything--and Nolan Ryan will add "CEO" to his title of team president.

I was among many who hailed Greenberg as a hero when his ownership team--with his and Ryan's names listed most prominently--beat out Mark Cuban and Jim Crane to buy the team out of bankruptcy in August. I knew that there were other "money men" behind the scenes, but they seemed willing to let Greenberg and Ryan be the public faces of the ownership group, and Greenberg really connected with the fans since the group took over.

But obviously, there were some not-so-joyous times in Mudville. What really happened? We may never know for sure, but this is obviously part of it:

In a Rangers news release, Greenberg, who was managing general partner and CEO, said he, Ryan and co-chairmen of the board Ray Davis and Bob Simpson have "somewhat different styles" and he said he was disappointed that they "did not work through our differences."

Sources said Greenberg's departure was the result of a variety of factors that built up during the offseason.

One included Greenberg's selling a suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington that general manager Jon Daniels used for meetings and to entertain family members and various opposing front-office people. Ryan and Daniels didn't want the suite sold.

Greenberg also got more involved in the Michael Young trade talks than the baseball operations staff wanted, sources confirmed.

The Average Joe Fan on the Street (like yours truly) never had any idea that any of this was going on, so the whole thing comes as a shock. The big money guys (whose names are Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, and they'd just as soon shrink back to anonymity once this issue has subsided) are saying that nothing will change, and one can only hope that a year full of drama (Team in bankruptcy? Manager admits to doing cocaine? Iconic infielder demands a trade?) can finally come to a close with this announcement.

So long, Chuck. And thanks for doing what you did to bring the deal to fruition last year; I think it certainly was for the best that your group won, even if it's not your group anymore. The fans really appreciate it.