In Houston, Evan Drellich reported Astros Owner Jim Crane and his wife, Franci Neely, have "finalized their divorce with a settlement that requires Crane to pay Neely" $30M. Consequently, Neely "has no financial interest" in the team. Astros General Counsel Giles Kibbe said, “It must be made very clear that this is a personal matter that has not, and will not, have any effect on the Astros." Neely is a Houston philanthropist and was Crane's "wife of 21 years" (CHRON.com, 2/13).
SQUEEZE PLAY? In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy wonders if Red Sox President & CEO Larry Lucchino is "losing a power struggle," as there "appears to be a subtle shift in the governance" of the team. Shaughnessy: "Ever-marginalized club chairman Tom Werner is always looking for more power, but the greater threat to Lucchino at this hour may be coming from Sox limited partner Michael Gordon," who has "become the second-largest shareholder in the team." Lucchino, who last week broke his collarbone and a few ribs in a motorcycle accident, "declined to respond" to questions about a "potential departure or change in his longstanding role" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/16).
WHAT'S TRENDING: In Ft. Worth, Jeff Wilson noted the Rangers have taken manager Jeff Banister’s "trademark Twitter hashtag" and "turned it into a marketing campaign." The hashtag #nevereverquit has been "placed prominently on the team website" and is "available on T-shirts in the team store" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/15).
