Over 20 years ago, then Milwaukee Brewers owner Allan “Bud” Selig took a job that most people weren’t interested in; he became Major League Baseball’s acting commissioner. Things got off to a rocky start for Selig as he faced backlash in 1993 when he decided to switch to a three-division format in both The National and American Leagues while also adding a Wild Card spot. Baseball pundits weren’t ready to warm up to this notion as they felt that it would take away from the pennant race. Selig was also front and center during The MLB Player’s strike in 1994 which saw The World Series cancelled that year. By 1998, Selig was the full-time MLB commissioner as he saw his reign take him to the spotlight. After the home run craze of the late 90’s and early 2000’s brought fans back to baseball, the game’s reputation began to crumble under the steroid controversy swirling around in the sport.
Selig has survived all of this as he is indeed making the game better. Since 1992, Major League Baseball has seen four new franchises pop up in the form of The Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Colorado Rockies. Each of these four teams have made at least one appearance in The World Series with The Diamondbacks and Marlins winning The World Series. Since 1992 only The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees were able to repeat as World Series Champions which shows that parity is here to stay.
Interleague play began in 1997 and was once again frowned on by baseball pundits as it was believed that it would potentially cheapen The World Series. Interleague play has allowed for intense rivalries in cities and states that have baseball teams in both leagues. In New York City, The New York Mets and New York Yankees go at it every season which has allowed fans to reminisce of the old days when The Yankees would consistently face The New York Giants or Brooklyn Dodgers in The Fall Classic. In Chicago fans of both The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox take territorial pride in “The North Siders” and “The South Siders”. Now with the move by The Houston Astros from The NL to The AL, we will now see interleague games all season as both leagues are now home to 15 teams.
The MLB All-Star Game had lost some of its luster which resulted in a 7-7 tie in 2002. Since then Selig changed the format of The Midsummer Classic as the winning league will now have home-field advantage in that year’s World Series which has brought more excitement to the game.
Selig added The World Baseball Classic which began in 2006. The tournament has taken place in 2006 and 2009 during spring training and it is currently in its final stages for 2013 with The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico set to square off for The WBC Championship. The WBC has brought out the passion of fans and players alike as some of the game’s best suit up for their native countries.
After the news became public of steroid use in baseball, Selig began to clean up the game. First time offenders receive a 50-game band. Second time offenders receive a 100-game band while the third suspension would invoke a potential lifetime ban by MLB. No superstar has been immune to Selig’s rule as 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez was suspended on two occasions for failed drug tests. Little by little Selig is on a mission to clean up the game that he loves.
While National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell faces heat over player safety and National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman has overseen several work stoppages in his league, Selig has built a strong legacy in his sport. Revenue sharing is at an all-time high in baseball. According to Forbes.com, the average MLB teams value has risen by 16% to an average of $605 million. Brand new parks have gone up around the country. Attendance grew in 2012 as 23 clubs enjoyed seeing over 2 million fans come through the turnstiles at their parks. In 2012, Selig added another Wild Card spot which now has two Wild Card winners in both leagues play a winner-take-all game to advance to The League Division Series
People like Selig tend to only receive the headlines when the news is bad, but this man has truly cemented his legacy within the game of baseball.
Sources: Baseball-reference.com, Forbers.com
Leave A Comment