Rangers’ Ryan favors realignment

Rangers president Nolan Ryan held court with the Houston media prior to Wednesday’s game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park and said he would be in favor of the Astros joining the American League West if baseball decides to realign.

The Astros, according to reports earlier this month, are one of the teams being discussed as a candidate to change divisions, and perhaps even switch to the American League, if realignment is part of a new labor agreement between Major League Baseball this winter.

Ryan likes the idea of having at least one Central Time Zone in the same division as the Rangers as well as the three West Coast teams.

“We’re at a disadvantage with our television audience of having to go west so I would be in favor of adding somebody from our time zone,” Ryan said. “I think having the Astros and the Rangers in the same pennant race would really stimulate interest in baseball in the state of Texas. If it is in the best interests of the Rangers, we’d be for it.”

As far as the Astros’ impending ownership change to a group led by Jim Crane, Ryan said Crane is going to have to be patient. Ryan and his group outbid a group led by Crane and Mark Cuban to try to by the Rangers last year. Crane’s group is expected to be approved by Major League Baseball in late July or early August.

“With so many players, you’re going to have your ups and downs,” Ryan said. “You don’t do that overnight. You just have to keep as many players as possible in the pipeline because all sorts of things will happen like injuries and those types of things.”