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I am as critical of Selig as the next guy, but in fairness, let's look at some of the things that have happened on his watch:
- Honored Hank. This showed his commitment to a friend and idol that should at least give you a warm spot for Selig.
- Honored Robinson by retiring his jersey for every team. Not his idea, but a great tribute.
- Dissolved the league offices. Some may argue this point, but certainly a shrewd move for someone looking to consolidate power in the commissioner's office
- Interleague play. This was a tricky sell and he has now got it almost exactly right. Attendance has been fantastic and benefited every team. The schedule has been worked out correctly, the rotation of divisions is a big success. They should now just reverse the DH rule to the National League parks and the implementation will be perfect. Not an easy transition, but one that has been an unqualified success.
- Unbalanced schedule - Not a universally popular decision, but one they will not be complaining about over the next month in the NL Central, NL West, and AL West as pennant races go down to the wire.
- Wild Card - A by-product of an ill-advised expansion policy, the Wild-Card is actually successful. A higher percentage of teams make the playoffs than ever before, leading to higher late season attendance and more TV money
- 2 straight labor agreements favorable to the owners - While the media has characterized the 1995-1995 agreement as favorable to the players, the facts suggest otherwise. That agreement contained revenue sharing and a luxury tax, and the current agreement ratifies these innovations permanently. To the extent that Bud has been put in place to represent the owners' interest, he has served them well in these agreements.
- Central Fund Revenues - Bud has grown the revenue significantly from MLB Sponsors such as Pepsi (despite the fact that Coke is featured prominently in many new ballparks)and Mastercard
- Preserving the Game's history - In addition to the Robinson and Aaron tributes, there have been many great moments such as the Ted Williams all-star appearance, the 100 greatest players tribute, and the Memorable Moments tribute this year. All of these have been done on Bud's watch.
9/11 - Handled it flawlessly. Football was in season, too. But noone remembers its' response. Baseball reasserted itself as a symbol of America.
- Honored Hank. This showed his commitment to a friend and idol that should at least give you a warm spot for Selig.
- Honored Robinson by retiring his jersey for every team. Not his idea, but a great tribute.
- Dissolved the league offices. Some may argue this point, but certainly a shrewd move for someone looking to consolidate power in the commissioner's office
- Interleague play. This was a tricky sell and he has now got it almost exactly right. Attendance has been fantastic and benefited every team. The schedule has been worked out correctly, the rotation of divisions is a big success. They should now just reverse the DH rule to the National League parks and the implementation will be perfect. Not an easy transition, but one that has been an unqualified success.
- Unbalanced schedule - Not a universally popular decision, but one they will not be complaining about over the next month in the NL Central, NL West, and AL West as pennant races go down to the wire.
- Wild Card - A by-product of an ill-advised expansion policy, the Wild-Card is actually successful. A higher percentage of teams make the playoffs than ever before, leading to higher late season attendance and more TV money
- 2 straight labor agreements favorable to the owners - While the media has characterized the 1995-1995 agreement as favorable to the players, the facts suggest otherwise. That agreement contained revenue sharing and a luxury tax, and the current agreement ratifies these innovations permanently. To the extent that Bud has been put in place to represent the owners' interest, he has served them well in these agreements.
- Central Fund Revenues - Bud has grown the revenue significantly from MLB Sponsors such as Pepsi (despite the fact that Coke is featured prominently in many new ballparks)and Mastercard
- Preserving the Game's history - In addition to the Robinson and Aaron tributes, there have been many great moments such as the Ted Williams all-star appearance, the 100 greatest players tribute, and the Memorable Moments tribute this year. All of these have been done on Bud's watch.
9/11 - Handled it flawlessly. Football was in season, too. But noone remembers its' response. Baseball reasserted itself as a symbol of America.
