Drayton McLane Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Drayton McLane will begin his 16th season as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Houston Astros Baseball Club in 2008, and his philosophy remains consistent—bring a World Series championship to Houston, and make a positive difference in the community. Since he purchased the team in 1993, the Astros rank second in the National League and fifth in the Majors in winning percentage (.534) over 15 seasons from 1993-2007. The team has won 1,264 games while losing only 1,101 during Drayton's 15-year tenure of ownership. The Houston Astros have enjoyed remarkable success on the field in recent years, reaching the postseason in six of the last 10 seasons with a Wild Card berth in 2004 and 2005, and National League Central Division titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001. Over the last 10 seasons, only the Yankees, Braves, and Cardinals have made the playoffs more than Drayton's Astros. Another highlight in Drayton's tenure occurred in 2001, as the Astros were named Organization of the Year by four outlets: TOPPS, SportsTicker, Baseball America and Baseball Weekly. During the off-season following the 2006 season, Drayton and the Astros signed outfielder Carlos Lee to the largest contract in franchise history, a six-year, $100-million free-agent deal. Additionally, over the last two seasons, the club signed Roy Oswalt to a five-year, $73-million contract in August of 2006 and Lance Berkman to a six-year, $85-million deal in Spring Training of 2005, meaning these three stars will be in an Astros uniform until at least through the 2010 season. Drayton's commitment to winning was never more evident than during the 2006 season, when the Astros had the fourth-highest payroll in the Majors and the highest in National League, in addition to the highest payroll in franchise history. The 2006 club was not eliminated from its quest for a third consecutive postseason appearance until the final day of the season. The 2005 season was the most successful season on the field for the Houston franchise in its history. The Astros reached heights not previously attained in franchise history, when the team won its first National League Championship and advanced to the World Series. On October 25, 2005, Minute Maid Park played host to the first World Series game played in the state of Texas. Despite a 15-30 record through May 24 of the 2005 season, Drayton remained committed to the team's core group of players and believed that they could turn the season around. What followed was remarkable and historic, as the 2005 Astros rallied to become the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the playoffs after being as many as 15 games below .500 at one point during the season. The team won its first National League crown on October 19, 2005, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the last game ever played at Busch Stadium. When Minute Maid Park welcomed its first fans in 2000, few realized what a surge of energy it would bring to the downtown area. Drayton's passion for baseball and the Houston Astros franchise is shared by the citizens of Houston, and more than three million fans visited the ballpark yet again in 2007, the fourth time in the eight-year history of Minute Maid Park that the Astros have hit the three-million mark in attendance. It also marked the second consecutive season in which the club hit the three-million attendance mark – and the third in the last four years. In 2004, Houston fans set an attendance record and provided a level of excitement and enthusiasm that propelled the team to an 18-game home winning streak during the 2004 season. Adjacent to historic Union Station, the street-level ballpark was designed to blend harmoniously into the diversity of its surroundings. Since construction began in 1998, the development around the ballpark has increased tremendously and has had a positive economic impact on the surrounding area. The 40,976-seat, state-of-the-art ballpark ushered in a new era of baseball in Houston, and the first seven seasons in the new downtown stadium has included some of the most successful in the history of the franchise by any barometer. In the last four years, the Astros have not only hosted two Division Series, two League Championship Series, and two World Series games, but Minute Maid Park was also the site of the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The 75th edition of the Midsummer Classic was a treat for Astros fans and the city, as the world's top baseball talent converged on the city of Houston on July 13, 2004. During his 15 years in Major League Baseball, Drayton has served on several MLB committees, including the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Legislative Affairs, Ownership and Realignment committees, and the MLB Advanced Media committee. The success of the Astros has not been limited to the playing field. When he purchased the team, one of Drayton's main goals was to help make a positive difference in the community. This dream is being realized through both the players and the front office staff. The Astros in Action Foundation was founded in 2000 and has served in thousands of projects, which work to strengthen our community. The Astros organization attends charity events, visits children's hospitals and hosts underprivileged children at the ballpark. Drayton also serves on a number of boards and committees. He is actively involved with the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, Greater Houston Partnership, and the United Way. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Scott & White Hospital, immediate past chairman of Baylor University, on the board of directors of The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, and provides leadership as an officer of the executive committee of the National Boy Scouts of America. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and graduate degree from Michigan State University, Drayton returned to his hometown of Cameron, Texas, and began working in the family business, the McLane Company. What began as a small grocery distribution center grew, under Drayton's leadership, into an international firm with 18 divisions throughout the United States. Drayton worked his way through the ranks, beginning in the warehouse. Before merging the business with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in 1991, Drayton had served as the company's President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board. He now devotes his time to McLane Group, the family holding company for M-C McLane International, McLane Advanced Technologies, McLane Polska, McLane Portugal, Classic Foods, Leading Edge Brands, Hometown Favorites, Lone Star Plastics, CSP Magazine, and the Houston Astros. Over the years, Drayton has received many significant awards, most recently the Distinguished Citizen Award and the Silver Buffalo from the Boy Scouts of America in 2004, the Distinguished Leadership Award from Leadership Houston in 2002, and, in 2000, the Father of the Year Award from the Houston Community Partners. In addition, he was presented with the Herbert Hoover Award from Food Distributors International in 1998, and was honored with the Golden Plate Award in 1997 from the American Academy of Achievement. He also received an honorary doctorate from Michigan State University and was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. On January 19, 2005, Scott and White Memorial Hospital honored Drayton and his wife by creating the Elizabeth and Drayton McLane, Jr. Chair in Health and Wellness, a new endowed chair that is a joint appointment between the hospital and the Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine. The chair will focus on several items, including preventive care, quality of life, and general well-being. Additionally, Drayton received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in January 2008. The award is given to given to those executives who, by their examples and their business practices, have shown a deep concern for the common good beyond the bottom line. Drayton and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Temple, Texas, and have two sons: Drayton III and Denton. They happily welcomed two new additions to their family in 2004 as Drayton III and his wife, Amy, welcomed Robert Drayton McLane IV and Denton and his wife, Amy, welcomed Jefferson Blaylock McLane. Earlier this year, Drayton III and Amy welcomed their second child, Benjamin Brooks. In December 2007, Amy and Denton had their second child, Jake. Drayton and Elizabeth are active members of First Baptist Church of Temple, where Drayton teaches Sunday School and currently serves as an active deacon. His previous responsibilities in the church include chairing the deacon board.

< Close Window >	< Print >