Bud selig commissioner of baseball

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I’ve often said this is one of those rare times in this incredible journey that I’ve been on, that a little boy’s dreams did come true. It must have lasted eight or nine minutes.”

Before the homestand ended, an estimated gathering of 10,000 fans attended a “We Love Ya, Bud” pep rally in the stadium parking lot. Brewers’ Vice President Dick Hackett received a telephone call from the Chamber of Commerce during the flight.

Very short visit.”

But for Selig, it gave him a chance to look into their eyes. The Brewers opened on the road with a convincing 10-0 win before dropping Game Two, 5-4.

Back in Milwaukee, the Brewers won two of the three games to forge ahead 3 games to 2. Now baseball has the toughest testing program, not only in American sports but WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) is one of the toughest anti-doping agencies ever.

The team needed one more victory to clinch the championship but had to do it in St. Louis. Despite Selig and an entourage that included Hall of Famers Henry Aaron and Robin Yount, lobbying efforts at the State Capitol twice failed to secure the necessary support in the Senate chambers. Oh, I still hear from a lot of people — players and owners alike — who just want to know how I am.

It was on to the State Senate, where the deliberation bogged down. “As I look back I never could have dreamed my career would take me to the places I went to. In essence, the plan called for a five-county sales tax of 0.1% or roughly one penny for every $10 to help pay for the new ballpark. The initial cost to build the ballpark was nearly $400 million, with $290 million generated by the five-county sales tax.

However, his contract was subsequently extended twice, through 2012 and then through 2014. As a way to maximize his time there, he added a third academic position to his itinerary, joining the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law on the campus of Arizona State University.

Selig also started work on his memoirs. Opening Day had to be moved back a week to April 9, and because of that, the season had to be extended three additional days to accommodate a full 162-game schedule.

The only way you should ever decide anything is on what’s in the best interest of baseball.”

The early years were quite lean. After the seventh stoppage in 18 years, the ownership group turned to Selig to foster an accord for the good of the game. Selig accepted an adjunct faculty position at Marquette University Law School as a distinguished lecturer in sports law and policy.

His parents immigrated to the United States shortly after the turn of the century as youngsters from Eastern Europe. His accomplishments over his 23-year tenure were many, putting his stamp on the following initiatives:

Interleague play.
Three divisions in the American and National Leagues.
The institution of divisional play, first with one wild-card entrant, then later a second for each league.
Team realignment in phases, first moving Milwaukee to the National League in 1998, followed by Houston switching to the American League in 2013, creating 15-team leagues.
Consolidating the umpires into the commissioner’s office.
Launching MLB.com and the MLB Network.
The opening of 22 new ballparks.
Revenue-sharing among teams and a competitive-balance tax.
The expansion of All-Star Game rosters and the incentive of home-field advantage for the World Series to the league that won the game.
Instant replay.
An unprecedented and comprehensive drug-testing program.
Record attendance in both leagues.
A global attraction with the introduction of the World Baseball Classic and season openers played in Mexico, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
Championing diversity and inclusion in all phases of the sport.
Servicing as an outreach to major charities.
And perhaps his greatest accomplishment, nearly a generation-long uninterrupted labor peace.

Retirement and beyond

For all that he accomplished as commissioner over a two-decade reign, Selig was most proud that the game he loved thrived in his hometown.

Small-market teams like the Brewers were drowning in debt with little hope of competing on a yearly basis.