team owner Marty Marion could not come to an agreement to sell the team. The Continental League as a whole folded in August 1960, and Marion sold the team to a group led by William Hopkins on August 16, 1960. However, on October 17, 1960, the National League granted an expansion franchise to the Houston Sports Association in which their team could begin play in the 1962 season. According to the Major League Baseball Constitution, the Houston Sports Association was required to obtain territorial rights from the Houston Buffaloes in order to play in the Houston area, and again negotiations began to purchase the team. Eventually, the Houston Sports Association purchased the Houston Buffaloes from William Hopkins on January 17, 1961. The purchase price for the team was $393,000 USD. Additionally, the HSA was forced to pay US$200,000 to the American Association because of their removal from the league. The Buffs played one last minor league season as the top farm team of the Chicago Cubs in 1961 before being succeeded by the city's NL club, the Colt .45s (known since 1965 as the Houston Astros). Many of those associated with the Houston Buffaloes organization were allowed by the ownership to continue in the major league. Manager Harry Craft, who had joined Houston in 1961, remained in the same position for the team until the end of the 1964 season. General manager Spec Richardson also continued with the organization as business manager, but was later promoted again to the same position with the Astros from 1967 until 1975. Although most players for the major league franchise were obtained through the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft, Buffs players J.C. Hartman, Pidge Browne, Jim Campbell, Ron Davis, Dave Giusti, and Dave Roberts were chosen to continue as major league ball players at some point throughout the 1962 season. In 1963, Aaron Pointer was promoted as well. Similarly, the radio broadcasting team remained with the new Houston major league franchise. Loel Passe worked alongside Gene Elston as a color commentator until he retired from broadcasting in 1976. Elston continued with the Astros until 1986. After being purchased by Houston's major league club, the Buffaloes organization served as their Triple-A affiliate, but were reorganized and moved to become the Oklahoma City 89ers, which have been known since 2014 as the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Eventually, the Astros sold the team to Tulsa businessman, P.