Baseball Commissioner Beelzebud Selig is claiming that he will retire when his current term expires. Doug Pappas has a Premium article in the Baseball Prospectus that basically boils down to "I'll believe it when I see it". Selig said many times when he was first installed that he only intended to do the job briefly, but along the way several candidates were strung along and abandoned, one of whom went on to bigger things, according to former Commissioner Fay Vincent:
His reign as commissioner lasted fewer than three seasons before he was undone by a cabal of owners who felt he wasn't pushing management's interests hard enough with the union. As the buildup to the showdown began, several people began expressing an interest in Vincent's job -- including a longtime friend who was president of the Texas Rangers.But Vincent told him the owners had already picked a successor and urged George W. Bush to stick with the family business. ''If it hadn't been for Bud Selig, George W. Bush wouldn't be president of the United States,'' Vincnet said.
Unfortunately, the owners want a man that they can control as commissioner. Given the history of the position since the 1970's (other than Bart Giamatti), the commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation has had more respect than the commissioner of baseball.
I think you're on the right track regarding the best choice for a new commissioner, since we need a real fan of the sport to run it. I think you will see someone such as Rudy Giuliani named the next commissioner, since he is considered to be both a fan of the sport and a "no-nonsense" type of person by the public.
The problem with baseball is the same with most professional sports. Even though it's a business, it's the fans that make the sport popular. The owners seem to have forgotten this, and the end result shows both on and off the field.
Posted by: William Hughes on April 28, 2003 8:47 AMOh, I know. The owners are very happy with a commish who's on their side instead of an independent authority. They'll never make that mistake again.
Giuliani seems a likely choice for the reasons you give. He might actually surprise people, since I don't see him relishing the idea of being told what to do. That would be sweet.
I do disagree with you about Giamatti being the ony respected commissioner lately. Bowie Kuhn gets a bad rap, and let's not forget Peter Ueberroth. I'll take a dozen Fay Vincents over one Bud Selig any day. If the commissioner's position is more joke than serious these days, I blame Bud and only Bud.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner on April 28, 2003 9:35 AMYou've got my vote! Of course, that and 50 cents MIGHT get you a bowl of chowder.... ;o)
Posted by: Jack Cluth on April 28, 2003 5:39 PMWho is Bud Selig? My son (a Twins fan) tells me that Satan is the present Commissioner of Baseball. Did Selig sneak in there recently?
Posted by: zizka on April 28, 2003 6:52 PMIsn't it obvious? The next Comissioner of Major League Baseball should be Timothy Robbins.
Posted by: Rob on April 29, 2003 9:57 AMIsn't it obvious? The next Comissioner of Major League Baseball should be Timothy Robbins.
Posted by: Rob on April 29, 2003 9:58 AMIsn't it obvious? The next Commissioner of Major League Baseball should be Timothy Robbins.
Posted by: Rob on April 29, 2003 9:58 AMAnd not a moment too soon.
But why should you be Commissioner? I live in NYC and need full-time work. I think we're long past due for a girl in charge of one of the major sports.
Posted by: Chris Quinones on April 29, 2003 4:24 PM