http://donatelifeohio.org/
When Bud Selig took over as Commissioner of Baseball in 1992, baseball had been through seven work stoppages in 22 years. While he regretfully presided over the last one in 1994, the players union and owners have been able to work out differences.
It took an unprecedented cancellation of the World Series to get the game back on solid ground.
 |
| http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/ |
Selig, who will teach college history when he retires in January remembers the night that he announced his decision very well.
"I went home, had dinner and went upstairs and replayed every World Series since 1944. I will never forget that feeling," Selig said.
History may judge the missed World Series as a turning point.
"As a history buff, looking back on retrospective history, we've had 21 or 22 years of labor peace," Selig said. "Maybe it took that to finally get labor peace. We had eight work stoppages from 1970 to the present. It was every two to three years. It was painful and the sport was getting hurt. That's why gross revenues risen from $1.2 billion to close to $9 billion. I really believe labor peace is the reason for that."
 |
| Reds caricatures for sale fstopjd@fuse.net |
Not only has revenue increased, it is being shared more equitably among the 30 franchises to allow all of them to compete.
"In 1998 we had a blue ribbon committee of Greg Levine, the President of Yale, Paul Volker, the chairman of the Fed (eral Reserve Bank), Senator George Mitchell and George Will. They called me in and George Volker, 6'8" and smoking a cigar, told me, "you have a problem. 25 of your teams can't win." I told him, "that's why you're here.". From that the National League was still in, as I call it, the Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds days, things have changed. I woke up two or three weeks ago, the three NL division leaders were tied, Milwaukee was in first place, Kansas City was in first place and Oakland battling. I don't care what anybody says, it couldn't happen and it didn't happen."
No comments:
Post a Comment