Top 10 Astros stories of 2013 (numbers 6 through 10)

#7. Reid Ryan replaces George Postolos as team president

On the thirteenth of May, George Postolos abruptly resigned as the Astros President and CEO. The architect of the fledgeling Regional Sports Network, CSN Houston, cited a desire to return to his roots as a sports investment consultant as part of his reasons for leaving. Less than a week later, the Astro announced Reid Ryan as his replacement.

The decision to bring in Ryan, the son of baseball legend and former Astro Nolan Ryan, was a popular one. Ryan (the younger) has been around the game his entire life. He was born in Alvin and practically grew up in the Astrodome. But he isn’t just a rich kid with connections. Reid Ryan knows the game of baseball.

Reid’s resume includes time as a college and minor league pitcher as well as an executive role as a partner in Ryan-Sanders Baseball Inc., a company that owned both the Round Rock Express and the Corpus Christi Hooks. Ryan has used his pull with RSB Inc. to get the Astros involved in the 2014 version of Big League Weekend in San Antonio. The 2-game exhibition series against the Rangers is a positive step in mending a damaged relationship with a fan base that stretches well beyond the Houston area.

Unlike his predecessor, Ryan is in touch with his customers — the fans. Ryan can typically be seen mingling among the masses during games at Minute Maid Park, listening to a mixture of complaints and hopes from the Astros’ faithful. If you’re ever at a game and want to talk with the prez, just send him a tweet and he just might stop by. I had the pleasure of meeting him at blogger’s event organized by the team. By all indications, the Astros made a good move by hiring Mr. Ryan.