Decision a blow to fans and business community

Major League Baseball is a sport and a business.

Questioning the decisions involved in the sport come naturally to MLB fans. Even questions to which there are no answers.

What if A.J. Hinch had left Zack Greinke out there in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the World Series? What if he had brought in Gerrit Cole instead of Will Harris? What if, what if, what if. As for the baseball business, most decisions are none of our business.

Were it not for his embarrassingly abusive behavior, in public no less, none of us would have had an opinion about the employability of Astros assistant general manager Bran

don Taubman.

He could have been the best assistant GM in the league, or the worst. Didn’t matter, because not many knew.

Once we got a taste of his distastefulness, the overwhelming sentiment was he shouldn’t be associated with the franchise. The Astros agreed and let him go a few days after his boorish behavior toward female reporters in the clubhouse came to light.

Baseball business that is some of our business popped up Thursday, as the Astros announced that Jared Crane has joined the Astros’ “leadership team,” and Reid Ryan, formerly the president of business operations, will become executive adviser, business relations.

Jared Crane is Astros owner Jim Crane’s son. Ryan is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Nolan

Ryan.

Being his father’s son hasn’t hurt Ryan’s profile, but his accomplishments are individual and better than most. He isn’t who he is because of his father.

Reid Ryan was born to run a business. His chosen business just happened to be in baseball, for obvious reasons.

Ryan has been a vital driving force in turning the Astros from a ragged, old-school bunch into a modern successful enterprise. He is a people person who represents the organization with class at every turn.

Corporate and community leaders who deal with the Astros say that Ryan not only makes you want to be involved with the Astros, he makes you feel good about the association.

Such entities work with professional sports teams because it is good for business. Since Ryan joined to the Astros as team president in 2013, he has made it good for the soul.

That isn’t an exaggeration. It took a special person to keep the community engaged when the Astros were the worst team in baseball.

It took a unique individual, one with a sense of history and personal connection, to successfully weave the often painful past with the promising future.

One doesn’t have to grow up as an Astros fan to care about the team as Ryan does, but as my father used to say, “Won’t hurt none.”

“Reid has been a tremendous help in the business operations, and a great advocate for our fans, employees and partners,” Jim Crane said in a statement.

Not that Ryan did it all alone — he and Crane have put together a talented business staff — but Ryan has been the face of the Astros community and business programs. His warm smile, honest demeanor and sense of “us” built an immeasurable trust that will be a challenge to maintain.

Jim Crane is a great businessman. He is sharp, forward-thinking, and doesn’t make many mistakes. If Ryan isn’t voluntarily stepping aside to “have more opportunities to focus on his other business ventures,” as the team’s announcement states, this is a questionable move.

Jared Crane could be great at this — the daddy hookup doesn’t make you a Trump — but the odds of someone being a better team president than Ryan are very long. He learned a lot running the minor league Round Rock Express before making it to The Show. The energy he brought to the franchise ALWAYS put it in the best light.

When the Astros say they are a championship organization on and off the field, Ryan gets much of the credit for the “off the field” part.

As for his new title as “executive adviser,” it would behoove execs (new and old) to seek and listen to his counsel. It would be

a shame if his new position is a soft landing spot on the way to being forced out.

Ryan not being at the head of the business side of the organization will make a significant difference.

Going from team president to adviser is like moving from the poker table to the gallery. He’ll care about the outcome, but he can’t touch the cards and doesn’t have any chips on the table.

And that’s sad, because Ryan took rags, played them as if he had a full house, and the Astros have been stacking chips ever since.

Ryan leaving for a new role might not have a dramatic affect on winning and losing, but he took personal pride in ensuring that a trip to the ballpark was a wonderful experience.

If the Astros lose that by moving him, that’s bad business.