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The sale of the Houston Astros to Houston businessman Jim Crane from technological monster Drayon McLane is official, and after the 2012 baseball season wraps up the 50-year strong National League squad will pack their their things, wait a moment, then unpack them in the same spot as an American League West stalwart. Finally, Texas can get rid of National League baseball and focus on what we love: hitting as many home runs as possible, then losing out of nowhere for no reason.

From an AP Source:

Crane reportedly agreed to the move in exchange for a drop in the sales price valued earlier this year at $680 million. The person who spoke to the AP could not confirm the sales price.

“We’ll let baseball talk about that,” current owner Drayton McLane said Wednesday night. “There were a lot of adjustments, so we’ll just wait and see what they have to say (Thursday).”

The players’ association believes two 15-team leagues would create a more proportionate schedule and has urged baseball to make the switch. With schedules for next season already completed, the earliest such a move could take place is 2013.

And here we are on Thursday, googling “Houston Astros” for the first (and possibly only) time in the calendar year.

“I welcome Jim Crane and his group as they prepare to become the new stewards of the Astros,” [commissioner Bud] Selig said in a statement. “I thank them for their patience and determination throughout a long but necessary process, which allowed us to accomplish our due diligence. The enthusiasm of Jim and his group will serve the Astros and their fans very well in the years ahead.”

Crane is expected to quickly reshape the club by naming former Houston Rockets president George Postolos as chief executive officer (like he’s got anything better to do) and basically doing whatever Nolan Ryan did. Uniform changes will probably happen. Somebody you can’t believe is still playing baseball will show up to designatedly hit. Bug Selig will do his best to change the rules around and make Houston a force, starting with today’s other big baseball announcement, that there will be a wild card team added in each league starting either in 2012 or 2013. So now they’ve got an even better chance of shining in one of baseball’s worst divisions.

And hey, worst case scenario, the Texas Rangers get to play a few more games inside every year.