Astros President and CEO George Postolos resigns

Houston Astros President and CEO George Postolos resigned from the team on Monday, effective immediately.

Postolos had been in his current position since Nov. 2011 when Jim Crane became the new owner of the team. Postolos and Crane had worked together for seven years to acquire an sports franchise, reports Brian Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

He had taken on the task of rebranding the Astros recently. That included the efforts to create new uniforms, team colors, and logos. He also gave Houston's marketing and foundation departments a facelift. Under Postolos's watch the Astros also moved to the American League as part of Crane's purchase of the team.

Postolos was not well liked in the organization, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. There has also been speculation that Postolos would be fired at the end of the season as a fall guy for the team's poor performances in recent years.

The Astros have been working on a TV deal with CSN Houston and national carriers, spearheaded by Postolos. Those talks have been stalled for some time, though there has been no word of that having anything to do with Postolos's resignation.

Postolos, the former CEO and president of the NBA's Houston Rockets, will return to his consulting firm where he advises potential investors on acquisitions and strategy in major league sports.