Bud Selig | |
|---|---|
 Selig in 2010 | |
| CommissionerEmeritus of Baseball | |
| Life tenure January 25, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| 9th Commissioner of Baseball | |
| In office July 9, 1998 – January 25, 2015 Acting: September 7, 1992 – July 9, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Fay Vincent |
| Succeeded by | Rob Manfred |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Allan Huber Selig (1934-07-30)July 30, 1934 (age 91) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouses | |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) |
Baseball player Baseball career | |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2017 |
| Vote | 93.8% |
| Election method | Today's Game Era Committee[2] |
Allan Huber "Bud"Selig[3][4][5] (/ˈsiːlɪɡ/; born July 30, 1934) is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the commissioner emeritus of baseball. Previously, he served as the ninthcommissioner of baseball from 1998 to 2015. He initially served as de facto acting commissioner beginning in 1992 in his capacity as chairman of theMajor League Baseball (MLB) Executive Committee before being named the official commissioner in 1998.[6] Selig oversaw baseball through the1994 strike, the introduction of thewild card,interleague play, and the de facto merging of theNational andAmerican leagues under the Office of the Commissioner. He was instrumental in organizing theWorld Baseball Classic in 2006.[7] Selig also introducedrevenue sharing.[8] He is credited for the financial turnaround of baseball during his tenure with a 400 percent increase in the revenue of MLB and annual record-breaking attendance.[6]
During Selig's term of service,the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs became a public issue. TheMitchell Report, commissioned by Selig, concluded that the MLB commissioners, club officials, thePlayers Association, and the players all share "to some extent in the responsibility for the steroid era."[9] Following the release of the Mitchell Report, CongressmanCliff Stearns called publicly for Selig to step down as commissioner, citing his "glacial response" to the "growing stain on baseball."[6] Selig has pledged on numerous occasions to rid baseball of performance-enhancing drugs, and has overseen and instituted many rule changes and penalties to that end.[10][failed verification]
A Milwaukee native, Selig was previously the owner and team president of theMilwaukee Brewers. The franchise, originally known as theSeattle Pilots, was acquired by Selig in bankruptcy court in 1970, and renamed after theminor league team of the same name that he had watched in his youth and had existed until the arrival of theBraves in Milwaukee in 1953. Selig was credited with keeping baseball in Milwaukee. The Brewers went to the1982 World Series (but were defeated in seven games by theSt. Louis Cardinals), and Selig won seven Organization of the Year awards during his tenure. Selig remains a resident of Milwaukee.
On January 17, 2008, Selig's contract was extended through 2012, after which he planned to retire,[11] but he then decided to stay as commissioner until the end of the 2014 season, a move approved by the owners on January 12, 2012,[12] which would take his leadership past his 80th birthday. Selig made $14.5 million in the 12-month period ending October 31, 2005.[6] Selig announced on September 26, 2013, that he would retire in January 2015.[13] On January 22, 2015, MLB announced that Selig would formally step down from the office when his current term expired on January 24, 2015.[14][15] He was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Selig was born inMilwaukee, and grew up in a Jewish family. His father, Ben Selig, had come to the United States fromRomania with his family when he was four years old.[16] Selig graduated from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison with aB.A. inAmerican history andpolitical science in 1956. He served two years in theU.S. Army before working with his father who owned a car leasing business in Milwaukee.[17][18] Selig continues to be involved in the automotive industry, serving as president of the Selig Executive Lease Company.[17]
Selig's interest in baseball came from his mother. An immigrant fromUkraine, Marie Selig attended college, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the early 20th century, and became a school teacher. When Selig was only three, Marie began taking him and his older brother, Jerry, toBorchert Field, where the minor leagueMilwaukee Brewers played. When theBoston Braves relocated to Milwaukee in 1953, Selig switched allegiances, and eventually became the team's largest public stockholder. Selig was devastated when he learned that the Braves were going to leave Milwaukee in favor ofAtlanta. In 1965, when the Braves left Milwaukee, he divested his stock in the team. As a youngster, Selig's favorite player wasHershel Martin. He developed a friendship withHank Aaron, when the young player joined the Braves. The elder Selig's company provided loaner cars to Braves players, which gave the family access to the clubhouse and players. Selig and Aaron attendedGreen Bay Packers games together and sat together on the Brave's plane.[19]
As a minority owner of theMilwaukee Braves, Selig founded the organizationTeams, Inc., in an attempt to prevent the majority owners (based out of Chicago) from moving the club to a larger television market. This was challenged legally on the basis that no prior team relocations (in the modern era) left a city without a team. Prior movements had all originated in cities that were home to at least two teams. When his quest to keep the team in Milwaukee finally failed after the1965 season, he changed the group's name to Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc., after theminor league baseball team he grew up watching, and devoted himself to returning Major League Baseball to Milwaukee.
Selig arranged for major league games to be played atMilwaukee County Stadium. The first, a pre-season match-up between theChicago White Sox andMinnesota Twins, drew more than 51,000 spectators. Selig followed this up by hosting nine White Sox regular-season games in 1968 and eleven in 1969. One of the games played in Milwaukee that year was against the expansionSeattle Pilots, the team that would become the Brewers. Those Milwaukee "home" games were phenomenally successful, with the handful of games accounting for aboutone-third of total White Sox home attendance.
To satisfy that fan base, Selig decided to purchase the White Sox (with the intention of moving them to Milwaukee) in 1969. He entered into an agreement to buy the club, but theAmerican League vetoed the sale, preferring to keep an American League team in Chicago, which at the time was still America's second-largest city. Selig turned his attention to other franchises.
In 1970, he purchased the bankrupt Seattle Pilots franchise, moving them to his hometown and officially renaming the team theBrewers.
During Selig's tenure as club president, the Brewers participated in postseason play in 1981, when the team finished first in the American League East during the second half of the season, and in 1982, when the team made it to theWorld Series, under the leadership of futureHall of FamersRobin Yount andPaul Molitor. Under Selig's watch, the Brewers also won seven Organization of the Year awards. Selig was part of the owners'collusion in 1985–1987, resulting in the owners paying US$280 million in damages to the players.
Upon his assumption of the commissioner's role, Selig transferred his ownership interest in the Brewers to his daughterWendy Selig-Prieb in order to remove any technical conflicts of interest, though it was widely presumed he maintained some hand in team operations. Although the team was sold to Los Angeles investorMark Attanasio in 2005, questions remain regarding Selig's past involvement. Selig's defenders point to the poor management of the team after Selig-Prieb took control as proof that Selig was not working behind the scenes.
Selig was elected to theWisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
On August 24, 2010, a statue of Selig, theSelig Monument, commissioned by Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and designed by artist Brian Maughan, was unveiled outside Miller Park in Milwaukee.
Selig became an increasingly vocal opponent of CommissionerFay Vincent, and soon became the leader of a group of owners seeking his removal. Selig has never stated that the ownerscolluded, while Vincent has:
TheUnion basically doesn't trust the ownership becausecollusion was a US$280 million theft by Selig andJerry Reinsdorf of that money from the players. I mean, they rigged the signing offree agents. They got caught. They paid $280 million to the players. And I think that's polluted labor relations in baseball ever since it happened. I think it's the reasonMLBPA executive directorDonald Fehr has no trust in Selig.[20]
— Fay Vincent
Following an 18-9no-confidence vote, Vincent resigned. Selig had by this time become chairman of theExecutive Council of Major League Baseball, and as such became de facto acting commissioner.
His first major act was to institute theWild Card and divisional playoff play, which has created much controversy amongst baseball fans. Those against the Wild Card see it as diminishing the importance of thepennant race and the regular season, with the true race often being for second rather than first place, while those in favor of it view it as an opportunity for teams to have a shot at the playoffs even when they have no chance of a first-place finish in their division, thus maintaining fan interest later in the season.
Selig suspendedCincinnati Reds ownerMarge Schott for a year in 1993 for repeated racially insensitive and prejudicial remarks and actions. The same year, Selig reinstatedNew York Yankees ownerGeorge Steinbrenner from a lifelong suspension that was instituted by Selig's predecessorFay Vincent.Pete Rose has claimed that he applied for reinstatement over the years and received no such consideration. Rose, along with his close friend and former teammateMike Schmidt (who is a strong supporter of Rose's reinstatement into baseball), met with Selig in 2002, where Rose privately admitted to Selig (two years before going public with his admission) aboutbetting on baseball. Bud Selig was a close friend of the lateBart Giamatti, who was the commissioner when Rose was first banned from the sport in 1989.
As acting commissioner, Selig represented MLB owners during the1994 strike.[21] On September 15, he cancelled theWorld Series, marking the first time the annual event had not been staged since1904.[22]
While serving as acting commissioner, MLB also implementedinterleague play in 1997.[17]
After a six-year search for a new commissioner, the owners voted to give Selig the title on a permanent basis on July 9, 1998.[17]
During his tenure, MLB avoided additional work stoppages by adopting collective bargaining agreements with its players in 2002 and 2006.[17]
Whereas in the past, theNational andAmerican leagues had separate administrative organizations (which, for example, allowed for the introduction of different rules such as thedesignated hitter), under Selig, Major League Baseball consolidated the administrative functions of both leagues into the Commissioner's Office in 2000. The last official presidents of the NL and AL wereLeonard S. Coleman Jr. and Dr.Gene Budig respectively.
On September 11, 2001, Selig ordered all baseball games postponed for a week because of theterror attacks on New York and Washington. The games were postponed not only out of respect and mourning for the victims, but also out of concern for the safety and security of fans and players.
After the conclusion of the2001 World Series, Selig held a vote on contracting two teams, reportedly theMinnesota Twins andMontreal Expos.[23] This action led to Selig (along with former Expos ownerJeffrey Loria) being sued for racketeering and conspiring with Loria to deliberately defraud the Expos minority owners.[24][25] If found liable, the league could have been ordered to pay as much as $500 million in total damages.[26] The judge ruled that the Expos could not be moved or contracted until the case was over.[27] The case eventually went to arbitration and was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.[28][29]
A week after Selig's announcement, Hennepin County Judge Harry Seymour Crump issued a temporary restraining order that forced the Twins to honor their lease and play the 2002 season at theMetrodome.[30] In August 2002, the effort to contract the Twins officially fizzled as players and owners reached a consensus on a new labor agreement which extended the team's Metrodome lease.[30]
The2002 All-Star Game, played in Selig's hometown ofMilwaukee, was tied 7–7 after nine innings, and remained tied after the bottom of the 11th inning. Due to the recent managerial trend of granting playing time to as many available players as possible within the regulation nine innings, both managers had used their entire roster. Concerned for the arms of the pitchers currently on the mound, Selig made the controversial decision to declare the game a tie,[31] to the dissatisfaction of the Milwaukee fans. Selig later said that this call was "embarrassing" and that he was "tremendously saddened" by the outcome of the game.[31]
Selig subsequently tried to reinvigorate the All-Star Game by awarding the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series; that practice was initiated in 2003 and continued through 2016. The2003 All-Star Game had the same U.S. viewership as 2002 (9.5rating; 17share) and the ratings declined in 2004 (8.8 rating; 15 share) and 2005 (8.1 rating; 14 share).[32] The American television audience increased in 2006 (9.3 rating; 16 share).[33]
On July 1, 2005, Selig suspendedTexas Rangers pitcherKenny Rogers for 20 games and fined him US$50,000. The punishment stemmed from an incident on June 29, 2005, during a Rangers pre-game warmup session, where Rogers had shoved two local news reporters and knocked one camera to the ground. One of the reporters resumed filming after picking up said camera, which angered Rogers into shoving him again, after grabbing and throwing the camera to the ground, kicking it. He was then led away by a teammate and later sent home by the club.[34] While an appeal of his suspension was pending, Rogers appeared at the2005 All-Star Game inDetroit, where fans loudly booed him. On July 22, 2005, Selig heard Rogers' appeal of his suspension. Selig decided to uphold the 20 games, however, an independent arbitrator ruled that Selig had exceeded his authority and reduced it to 13 games, but upheld the fine.
In 2005, Selig facedCongress on the issue ofsteroids. After the Congressional hearings in early 2005, and with the scrutiny of the sports and national media upon this issue, Selig put forth a proposal for a stricter performance-enhancing drug testing regime to replace the current system. This proposal also included the banning ofamphetamines, a first for the major North American sports leagues. TheMLB Players Association and MLB reached an agreement in November on the new policy.[35]
Selig's testimony on the subject has been contradictory. In 2005, Selig told reporters, "I never even heard about them [steroids] until 1998 or 1999. I ran a team and nobody was closer to their players and I never heard any comment from them. It wasn't until 1998 or '99 that I heard the discussion."[36] But a year later, testifying to Congress in 2006, Selig claimed personal credit for spotting the problem early: "In 1994, before anybody was really talking about steroids in baseball, we proposed a program of testing for such substances to the MLBPA. As early as 1998, I began formulating a strategic plan to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing substances from the game."[37] During the1988 ALCS,Oakland'sJose Canseco had been repeatedly taunted byBoston fans with a chant of "ster-oids, ster-oids, ster-oids."[38] Speaking at the 2013 All-Star Game, Selig complained, "People say, 'Well, you were slow to react.' We were not slow to react. In fact, I heard that this morning, and it aggravated me all over again."[39]
By early 2006, Selig was forced to deal with the issue of steroid use. On March 30, 2006, as a response to the controversy of the use of performance-enhancing drugs and the anticipated career home run record to be set byBarry Bonds, Selig asked former U.S. SenatorGeorge J. Mitchell to lead an independent investigation into the use of steroids in baseball's recent past.Joe Sheehan fromBaseball Prospectus wrote that the commission has been focusing "blame for the era exclusively on uniformed personnel", and failing to investigate any role played by team ownership and management.[40]
Much controversy surrounded Selig and his involvement in Bonds' all-time home run record chase. For months, speculation surrounded Selig and the possibility that he andHenry Aaron would not attend Bonds' games as he closed in on the record. Selig announced in July 2007 when Bonds was near 755 home runs that he would attend the games. Selig was in attendance for Bonds' record-tying home run against theSan Diego Padres, sitting in Padres ownerJohn Moores' private suite. When Bonds hit his 755th home run, Selig refused to applaud Bonds' accomplishment, instead choosing to keep his hands in his pockets and have a look of disdain on his face. Bud Selig also did not attend theSan Francisco Giants' game on August 7 when Barry Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run against theWashington Nationals; after the event, Selig released a statement congratulating Bonds.
On December 13, 2007, former senator Mitchell released hisreport on the use of performance-enhancing substances by MLB players. The report names many current and former players who allegedly used performance-enhancing drugs during their careers.
Selig has been widely criticized for not taking an active enough role to stem the tide of steroid use in baseball until it had blossomed into a debilitating problem for the industry.Chicago Sun-Times columnistJay Mariotti called Selig the "Steroids Commissioner."[41] Selig has been called toCongress several times to testify on performance-enhancing drug use. CongressmanCliff Stearns said in December 2007 that Selig should resign because of use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball during his tenure.[6]
Selig's decision to extend the traditional postseason schedule into November in an attempt to increase Nielsen ratings was met with widespread disdain, both inside and outside the baseball community.Mike Scioscia, manager of the American League West Division Champion Los Angeles Angels, dismissed the decision, saying: "Ridiculous. I don't know. Can I say it any clearer than that? We should have never had a day off last Wednesday. We should never have three days off after the season. You shouldn't even have two days off after the season."[42]
Selig has been embroiled in a number of controversial decisions during his tenure as commissioner. Notably, he has been accused of favoring theMilwaukee Brewers, his former team, such as he was during the2001 contraction controversy when it was suggested theMinnesota Twins be one of two teams (the other being theMontreal Expos) to be contracted for economic reasons. SportswriterRob Dibble posted an open letter to Bud Selig, criticizing the plan for benefiting only the Brewers, noting that the contraction of the Twins would benefit the Brewers, as they would potentially claim the Twins' share of the upper Midwest market.[43]
During the2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, he was accused of not acting in good faith towards and treating the Dodgers differently from other teams when he rejected the television deal thatFrank McCourt negotiated that intended to bring the franchise out of bankruptcy, claiming McCourt violated the Baseball Agreement. In comparison, no action was taken againstNew York Mets ownerFred Wilpon despite being in a similar position. United States bankruptcy judge Kevin Gross rendered a stern warning to Selig, stating: "Should the Commissioner falter in proving alleged wrongdoing, the Court may allow LAD (Los Angeles Dodgers) to take further, limited discovery."[44] Some critics have used Selig's handling of the Dodgers to point out a double standard in treatment of MLB owners. More specifically in regards to the Mets, critics have accused Selig of favoritism towards the Mets due to Selig's personal relationship with Wilpon, claiming that it motivated him to stall any possible removal of Wilpon as that club's principal owner.[45]
Selig also notably failed to resolve a 6-year conflict between theSan Francisco Giants and theOakland Athletics regarding the Athletics' proposed move toSan Jose.[46] Selig established a blue-ribbon panel in 2009 to resolve the dispute;[47] however, despite years to find a resolution, the blue-ribbon panel completely failed to make any progress toward resolving the issue, leading San Jose to sue MLB. The lawsuit questioned the league's anti-trust exemption and its ability to enforce particular clubs' geographic territories.[48] San Jose's bid for the Athletics ended in 2015 when theUnited States Supreme Court declined to hear the case.[49] In addition, Selig blocked the sale of the Athletics in 1999 to an ownership group led by Bob Piccinini, then the CEO ofSave Mart Supermarkets,[50] andJoe Lacob, who would later purchaseGolden State Warriors, from purchasing the Athletics in 2005.[51] Both potential ownership groups were committed to keeping the team in Oakland that would render this territorial dispute meaningless. Instead, Selig permitted onlyLew Wolff, his fraternity brother from college, andJohn J. Fisher to buy the team. The latter has since initiated the process to move theAthletics from Oakland to Las Vegas.[52]
On December 1, 2006, Selig announced that he would be retiring as commissioner of baseball upon the expiration of his contract in 2009. Selig earned $14.5 million from MLB over the timespan October 31, 2005 to October 31, 2006.[53] However, in January 2008, Selig agreed to a three-year contract extension, announcing he planned to retire after the 2012 season.[54] He further decided against retirement, and after a two-year extension for the previous deal was agreed to on January 12, 2012, it was announced that Selig would remain commissioner until the end of the 2014 season.[12]
In 2021, Selig was appointed as "non-voting co-Chair" (with Jane Forbes Clark) for the December 2021 Early Baseball Era Committee meeting, to consider candidates for election to the Hall of Fame whose major contributions to the game took place prior to 1950.[55] The committee electedBud Fowler andBuck O'Neil.
Bud Selig has overseen the following changes in Major League Baseball:
During Selig's terms as executive council chairman (from 1992 to 1998) and commissioner, new stadiums opened inArizona,Atlanta,Cincinnati,Cleveland,Colorado,Detroit,Houston,Miami,Milwaukee,Minneapolis, New York City (Flushing, Queens andthe Bronx),Philadelphia,Pittsburgh,San Diego,San Francisco,Seattle,Arlington,St. Louis, andWashington, D.C.
Selig and his family served a supportive role on the advisory board of theIsrael Baseball League during its inaugural season in 2007. In response to issues with the league's financial management, after the season, the Selig family requested that their names be removed from the list of board members.[57]
In May 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers honored Bud Selig with the unveiling of theSelig Experience exhibit at American Family Field (formerlyMiller Park.) TheSelig Experience is a fifteen-minute documentary showing Bud Selig's life and work for the Milwaukee Brewers.[58][59]
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Selig has been married twice. He married his first wife, Donna Chaimson, in the 1950s, and they had two daughters: Sari (born 1957) andWendy (born 1960). The couple divorced in 1976 after 19 years of marriage on the grounds that Selig had been "unduly absenting yourself from the home of the parties and isolating yourself ... in pursuit of your baseball interests to the detriment of your marriage."[60] Chaimson later stated thatthe marriage ended because her husband "divorced me and married baseball." Since 1977, Selig has been married to the former Suzanne Steinman, who has a daughter from a previous marriage.[61]
In 2009, Selig began teaching as an adjunct professor of sports law and policy atMarquette University Law School.[62] His classes have covered numerous topics, including "the history of collective bargaining and free agency, baseball's antitrust exemption, revenue sharing – as well as finer points of sports law like intellectual property rights, ambush marketing, and why baseball does not allow game footage on YouTube."[63]
In 2010, Selig endowed the Allan H. Selig Chair in the History of Sport and Society in the United States, as well as a Distinguished Lecture Series in Sport and Society at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin. The inaugural lecture was given by Adrian Burgos.[64] Selig has since endowed two more chairs in the university's history department.[65]
In February 2016, Selig began teaching at theSandra Day O'Connor College of Law atArizona State University.[66] His title at the law school is distinguished professor of sports in America.[67] He is also a lecturer at UW–Madison and Marquette.[68]
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Selig was awarded the U.S.Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award in April 2015 for supporting soldiers, veterans, and their families through his work in Major League Baseball.[69] On April 6, 2015, theMilwaukee Brewers retireduniform number 1 in his honor.[70]
In 2014, Selig was inducted onto the inauguralMilwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.[71]
On December 4, 2016, it was announced Selig was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017.[72] He was formally inducted on July 30, 2017.[73]
In 2016, Selig was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. The award was created to honor CoachLombardi's legacy, and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the Coach.
Kessler was also not disappointed by the judge's ruling, which allows the partners to come back to court to request an injunction to prevent the Expos from being relocated, should baseball try to move them before the arbitration is resolved.
bud selig divorced me and married baseball.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| New office | Owner of theMilwaukee Brewers franchise 1970–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| New title | Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball 2015–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
