O.M.G.

by jscape2000 on Jan 17, 2008 11:29 PM EST in News Comment 10 comments

John Amato, Ronster, or anaconda might want to expand on this, but Bud Selig is signed until 2012.

"This was well-deserved, well-earned," said Ken Kendrick, who replaced Jerry Colangelo as managing general partner of the Diamondbacks in 2004. "I'm relatively new at this, but he's done an outstanding job for all of us."

Selig, 73, just finished his 15th full season as Commissioner. As a business, the sport has never done better, setting records last season in gross revenue ($6.1 billion) and total attendance (79.5 million). Projections right now are for attendance to easily soar over the 80 million ticket mark and revenue to surpass $6.5 billion in 2008.

I can almost understand the move if this extension is a big F-you to the Congressional investigation. But it's also a big F-you to the majority of MLB's fans.

This man's job is to work in the best interest of baseball.

A strike, a steroid scandal and a sham investigation, and a revenue sharing program that allows the owners to pocket obscene amounts of money without improving their teams? Not to mention draft-slot guidelines that stink of collusion, no international draft, and a screwy (Selig-designed) Japanese posting system. I wish it was this hard for me to get fired from my job.

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Selig

I'm no fan of Bud, but it seems reasonable to allow him to stay on until the current steroid debacle comes to some sort of closure. As far as the posting system, Bud and MLB have nothing to do with that. That was developed by Japan to make it harder for the Ichiros of the world to come here, and there really isn't anything MLB can do about it. If a player is under contract over there, they hold all the cards.

by lenoirfaineant on Jan 18, 2008 1:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sort of

While the Nippon League's reserve clause (10 years of service before free agency) is its own to control, the posting system was another Bud Selig idea.

Before Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) closed the Nomo loophole (retire from NPB then sign with MLB), Alfonso Soriano used it to skip out on his club. But by that time, there was another problem -- the sale of players to MLB clubs with Japanese connections. Hideki Irabu was sold to the San Diego Padres, who had acquired negotiating rights to Irabu from Chiba Lotte, his Japanese club.

As soon as Irabu got his wish to go to the majors, he turned around and complained he had no desire to play in San Diego.

Fear then drove MLB and NPB to develop the posting system. Unconnected MLB clubs were afraid they could be denied access to Japanese talent, while Japanese clubs feared losing players as free agents without receiving the compensation paid when stars signed within Japan.

I can't find an article to back it up at the moment, but I believe that the posting system was agreed on during a meeting of the two commissioners. That was his chance to begin an international draft, and he blew it. At the very least it should be an open negotiation.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jan 18, 2008 1:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree 100%

It is disgusting that his incompetence has been ratified by MLB. Then again, I am still shocked that Cashman has a job so I don't know why I should be surprised by another moron in baseball being inexplicably retained.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Jan 18, 2008 7:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I do not like Bud Selig

and I don't get this. Incompetence as reward. nice.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Jan 18, 2008 9:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Incompetence?

I think Bud has made strides in marketing the game to a wider audience. Unfortunately, he's also the god-father of the steroid era. This happened on his watch and under his nose. He knew what was happening.

I do not think he's forward thinking and progressive. I do not think he's got the best interests of the game as the pinnicle. I suspect as a former owner he's predisposed to supporting ownership even above the game.

It is time for a change. I vote Pfisty.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Jan 18, 2008 11:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty busy at work

but if I were called to duty, I would have to answer the call.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Jan 18, 2008 1:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's a duty thing...

Seriously, whatever Selig's pluses, I honestly cannot believe nobody raised the issue of putting a new face in the commissioner's office. It's not about Bud taking the fall; just a matter of moving on.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Jan 18, 2008 2:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

$$$ talks

He makes the owners a ton of money and that has filled the players coffers at the same time. No one making money hand over fist wants to rock the boat, which tells me that they only care about steroids enough to appease Congress.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Jan 19, 2008 11:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought his job was to work

for the best interest of the owners, in which case I'd have to admit that he has done quite well. The "best interest of baseball" crap was jettisoned when they fired Fay Vincent and they put an owner in as commish.

Everything looks nicer when you win. The girls are prettier. The cigars taste better. The trees are greener. --Billy Martin

by garp on Jan 18, 2008 1:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs