MLB Commissioner will not seek another term
After nearly a decade in the position, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that he will step down after his current term ends in 2029 (Photo courtesy of Daniel Shirey/Getty Images).
On Thursday, Feb. 15, Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred announced his plans to step down as the commissioner when his term ends in 2029. Manfred’s stint has had its highs and lows—with many people believing there to be more downsides—especially when it came to the changes he made to the game during his term.
Before succeeding Bud Selig as commissioner in 2015, Manfred began working with the MLB in 1987. He served as outside counsel for the team owners during the 1994-95 MLB strike before joining the MLB full-time in 1998 as the league’s Executive Vice President of Economics and League Affairs. In 2002, Manfred negotiated the MLB’s first drug-testing agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), and then, in 2013, led the MLB’s investigation into the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal.
After becoming commissioner in January 2015, Manfred stated his primary goals were youth outreach, embracing technology, quickening the pace of play, strengthening player relations, and creating a more unified business operation. That same year, Manfred addressed the pace of play with new rules put in place, including requiring batters to stay in the batter’s box throughout at-bats and the installation of time clocks to limit the duration of commercial breaks.
Manfred’s most controversial change came following these somewhat minor alterations, with the introduction of the pitch clock. One could argue that the pitch clock makes the game feel rushed and frenzied in comparison to the strategic subtlety that certain baseball strategies possess. The battle of Manfred, a man in search of change, versus the baseball world could end up hurting the loyal core fans of the game, especially since Manfred wants to challenge almost every principle which baseball was built upon. While yes, in theory, the pitch clock would be attractive to younger audiences—whose average attention span is shorter. Though, with baseball having been the national pastime for over a century, his changes have been questionable for many.
By far the most disputed action committed by Manfred during his time as MLB commissioner was how he handled the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal following the World Series. With Manfred at the helm of this investigation, he fined the Astros organization five million dollars and revoked their first and second-round draft picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. Furthermore, the Astros manager and general manager were both suspended for the 2020 regular season and playoffs. Manfred also granted Astros players immunity from punishment in exchange for their cooperation in the investigation. This decision seemed to be a measly punishment for both the players and the organization that cheated their way into victory during the biggest series of their lives.
In more current news, the MLB has been making headlines this week after their shift to uniforms manufactured by Fanatics has both fans and the MLBPA complaining. The pants are see-through and the names on the backs of the jerseys are much smaller than in years past. While the MLBPA executive director hopes that the league will make changes before Opening Day, Manfred thinks that “after people wear them a little bit, they are going to be very popular.” Once again, for Manfred, it’s all about money and not the experience of players and fans alike.
Manfred’s goal of creating a unified business operation within the MLB seems great on paper, except for the part where baseball has been stripped of any cultural or historical significance. Simply put, Manfred seems to answer to the clubhouse owners, who are driven by increased revenue and marketing shares—not the game of baseball itself. With Manfred in charge, baseball, and the MLB as a whole, have become spectacles motivated by media and money—not the love of the game.