You may have seen the news: Rob Manfred, commissioner of baseball – and, to many of us, steward of a sport he doesn’t really seem to care for or care that much about – is going to serve one more term. Come 2029, he’s outta here.
So when’s the parade?
In fairness, the results of Manfred’s commissionership are mixed. The adjustments to the rules a year ago that resulted in a quicker pace and a more entertaining game go into his credit column. The pitch clock and anti-shift rules transformed the game – though I’m still waiting for an umpire to make an illegal defense call – and I’ve got to believe it’s only time until the automatic ball-strike (ABS) system (i.e., bots calling pitches) replaces the way overmatched home-plate umpire.
Meanwhile, the replay system has increased the chances that calls (outside of ball-strike decisions) are correct, and thus decreased the chances that managers make spectacles of themselves in discussions with the umps. (If you miss those arguments, there are always Earl Weaver and Tom Lasorda clips on YouTube.)
But there are so many negatives in his nine years as commissioner. Where to start?
The lockout from December 2021 through March 2022, for example, didn’t accomplish what management wanted. It did halt offseason business, and it showed a new generation of players why the Players Association exists, why it’s the strongest in professional sports, and why the owners are not their friends. The agreement that came out of that lockout runs through 2026, so Manfred – who originally came onto MLB’s radar as a labor lawyer in 1987 – will have one more opportunity to play Deal or No Deal before exiting the stage after the 2028 season.
And the inaction concerning the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal remains a blot on Manfred’s résumé. He suspended manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, but key players went unpunished, having been granted immunity. More egregiously, owner Jim Crane…
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