MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to retire at end of 2014 season

The Guru
Contributing Writer

The Dark Lord of Major League Baseball, commissioner Bud Selig, formally announced his retirement on Thursday. The retirement takes effect on January 24, 2015.

Selig said in a statement:

“It remains my great privilege to serve the game I have loved throughout my life. Baseball is the greatest game ever invented, and I look forward to continuing its extraordinary growth and addressing several significant issues during the remainder of my term.

“I am grateful to the owners throughout Major League Baseball for their unwavering support and for allowing me to lead this great institution. I thank our players, who give me unlimited enthusiasm about the future of our game. Together we have taken this sport to new heights and have positioned our national pastime to thrive for generations to come. Most of all, I would like to thank our fans, who are the heart and soul of our game.”

Emperor Selig helped turn Major League Baseball into a $9 billion industry, had multiple battles with the players’ union, including one that resulted in the cancellation of the 1994 World Series, realigned the divisions, and added the wild card playoff system. Selig also had a hand in the sale of the Boston Red Sox to the John Henry group.

However, Selig’s lasting legacy may be the fact that he oversaw baseball’s so-called Steroid Era. Many have accused Selig of looking the other way as players got larger, the home run numbers ballooned, long standing records fell and the owners wallets overflowed.

No word on a possible successor or whether the site of the 79-year-old Selig’s retirement party will be determined by the winner of the All Star Game.


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