Meet MLB Baseball’s New Boss

15 Aug, 2014

It’s unanimous. Official Major League Baseballs will feature a new signature next year.

Rob Manfred was elected in a 30-0 vote Thursday to succeed Commissioner Bud Selig in January, becoming the 10th person to hold the industry’s highest office.

Five hours after deliberations began on the final day of the quarterly Owners Meetings, it was announced that Manfred, MLB’s chief operating officer, will formally take over on Jan. 25. Selig has presided over the game for 22 remarkable years.

“We’ve had quite an interesting day, a lengthy day,” Selig said. “We had a significant number of votes, but in the end the vote was unanimous, 30-0. The process is complete.”

Said Manfred: “I’m tremendously honored by the confidence the owners showed in me. I have very big shoes to fill. [Selig] has been a friend and mentor for me the entire 25 years I’ve been in the game. There is no question that I would not be standing here today if it were not for Bud. And I hope I will perform in a way that adds to his great legacy.”

Selig’s tenure resulted in a sweeping transformation of the game, including an unprecedented era in labor peace, a sharp rise in revenue and attendance, a string of new ballparks, improved competitive balance, instant replay, expanded playoffs, the most comprehensive drug-testing program among the major professional sports and the creation of Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

When Manfred, 55, was promoted to COO on Sept. 28, 2013, it put him directly in line to follow Selig. Since then he has overseen all traditional functions of the Commissioner’s Office, including labor relations, baseball operations, finance, administration and club governance. But a seven-man search committee, headed by Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., eventually presented a slate of three candidates to the Executive Committee: Manfred, MLB’s executive vice president of business Tim Brosnan and Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.

MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark was also supportive of Manfred’s selection.

“On behalf of the players, I want to congratulate Rob Manfred on being named Major League Baseball’s 10th Commissioner,” Clark said. “As representative of the players, I look forward to working closely with Rob, the clubs’ representative, as we strive to sustain the growing popularity and prosperity of our great game. Personally, I have known Rob for more than 15 years, and I’m confident that his vast experience in all aspects of the sport will serve his commissionership well.”

Manfred has strong ideas about what’s good for baseball, but his election also signals a desire to continue in the direction that has led MLB to the heights it currently enjoys. “I’m going to work very hard to maintain that tradition and unity as we move the game forward,” he said.

MLB.com

Image Steve Ruark

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