On the upcoming July 30th, 81 years ago, one of baseball’s most despicable men was born, bearing the ordinary name of Allan Huber Selig. As he poured his heart and soul into the sport, he adopted the name “Bud” Selig, and became the ninth Person-to-Blame (also known as Commissioner of Baseball) in MLB history.
During Selig’s 23-year reign as the Commish, drastic changes transformed the game into the modern super-sport that it is today. Regardless of the controversial periods during his tumultuous start, he became one of the most well-known authority figures in the history of North American sports. Much like Dr. James Naismith’s invention of the game of basketball, Mr. Bud Selig was revolutionary.
Yes, Mr. Selig should be appreciated for all the good that he has done for America’s Pastime. As fans, we have dreaded the appearance of Selig’s face on television, and groaned each time he made a speech. The man has never complained about the blame that is placed upon him on a daily basis, for he understood exactly what his work description included; bolded, under the title of “Commissioner of Baseball,” read the words “fans will likely hate you for decades.”
However, the next time you hear a disparaging remark about the former Commissioner, stop and think about his influence, and reflect upon how you truly feel about the changes to baseball, starting from his early baseball days.
Do you hate the existence of the Milwaukee Brewers? For the most casual of fans, Bud Selig is simply the reason why the Brewers now exist. Back in 1965, Selig was a minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves, having fallen in love with his hometown team. At the conclusion of the ’65 season, the Braves relocated to their current location of Atlanta, with Selig renaming his group to Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc. with the sole purpose of returning Major League Baseball to Brew Town. He finally succeeded when he bought the Seattle Pilots and moved them to Milwaukee.
Do you despise the Divisional Series and the Wild Card berths in the playoffs? Sure, during the cancellation of the 1994 playoffs, experts and enthusiasts alike spoke out against the new format. In hindsight, most of those same people would later change their opinions, fully embracing the drama and competition in September when several teams play their hearts out for a change at a postseason run.
Speaking of which, at this point, critics will surely present the 1994-95 MLB strike as a disastrous effort by Bud Selig. In 2015, one would have the ability to look back and agree that there was miscommunication between all parties involved, and the strike damaged the sport for years to come. At the time, however, Selig was forced into the situation as the “acting commissioner,” when he had simply signed up to serve as the Chairman of Executive Council of Major League Baseball.
Was it Selig’s fault that Fay Vincent was incompetent toward the end of his reign? No, and Selig should receive the benefit of the doubt for any actions he was accused of committing by Vincent. Was Selig to blame for the reluctance of both players and owners to accept any compromise offered during the strike? You already know the answer to that question.
The joke that was the 94-95 strike pushed loyal fans away from the sport, recording low attendance numbers and TV ratings by the time the game returned to ballparks a month later, with supporters hurt by the greed of all parties involved in the strike. As a testament to Selig’s importance, fans who began watching baseball after the turn of the millennium never would have guessed.
That is because of the introduction of interleague play, the amalgamation of the Junior and Senior circuits into one Major League, the expansion and relocation of franchises such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Washington Nationals, and the introduction of revenue sharing to allow small-market clubs an ability to compete with the likes of New York and Boston. These were some of the best decisions in baseball history, expanding the influence of the sport nationwide, allowing the league to flourish beyond wildest expectations.
Beyond North America, Bud Selig was also instrumental in creating the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, a global competition in which players represented their native countries, closely resembling the FIFA World Cup. With the new event, fans worldwide became exposed to the sport, leading to an increasing influx of foreign players in the league.
Following the trend of technology, Selig also oversaw the implementation of the instant replay system, completed with a set of rules and regulations that also granted each manager one challenge per game. The new system allowed increased fairness to a game where instantaneous calls happen virtually every minute. It has been said before that the system is not perfect, but any journey begins with a single step – one that was taken by Mr. Selig.
As a last-ditch effort to dislike Selig, opponents may suggest the controversial Steroid Era as evidence of his failure, but when the entirety of the saga involving performance-enhancing drugs is considered, it shines as a badge of honour for Selig.
Undeniably, the former Commissioner made a mistake in his approach to the abuse of steroids during that era. Every personnel involved in the league at the time should share the blame and be ashamed of themselves for the drama that unfolded in the years to follow. However, unless there is a perfect human being who can emerge and honestly say that they have never done anything wrong in their lives, we must give Selig a chance to make up for his mistakes.
And did he ever. Major League Baseball now features the strictest PED policy in all North American leagues, with unannounced sampling taking place all the time. As a lesson to any offenders who dared to challenge the Commissioner’s authority, the disciplinary actions are also rightfully harsh, with bans of 80 games, a full season, and a lifetime for repeat offenders.
With Selig’s 81st birthday approaching on Thursday, the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball deserves more than a congratulatory “happy birthday.” As fans, we need to finally return the respect and admiration that the man has garnered over his career.
Under Selig’s influence, the sport has become as enjoyable as possible. It is safe to say that Major League Baseball is now the best thing since classic arcade video games; fans becoming addicted to the game and never getting enough of it.
We have seen the league’s Fix-It-Felix in Bud Selig. Let’s just hope Commissioner Rob Manfred won’t adopt the role of Wreck-It-Ralph.