MLB owners like the job Manfred is doing.
Major League Baseball owners have decided that Commissioner Rob Manfred has done such a good job that they have given him a contract extension and Manfred will now be around until the end of the 2028 season. Manfred has been given credit by fawning reporters who cover the industry for making the game a bit more interesting by introducing gimmicks such as a pitch clock and putting a ghost runner on second base in extra innings to make the game faster for the 21st century customer. It is not known who came up with the gimmicks but Major League Baseball games have been altered. But that is not the reason Manfred is sticking around. Manfred is doing what a sports commissioner has to do to keep his or her job. He is making sure there is no slowing of revenue stream and making the owners happy. In Manfred’s case the owners always come first and fans or customers? They might not matter. Manfred has trashed Oakland Athletics’ fans for not supporting owner John Fisher and said he felt sorry for them because Fisher’s business will be leaving them and the Bay Area behind for Las Vegas. Manfred also claimed he did not know Oakland and Alameda County and California had a new stadium proposal for Fisher.
On Manfred’s watch, MLB owners held and are still holding minor league cities hostage in a quest to get new or renovated stadiums. MLB ditched 42 minor league franchises a couple of years ago and basically told some cities, you are lucky that you still have a team but you better get a new or renovated stadium up to our standards soon or we will find some other municipality to take that team away from you. Manfred has done a good job financially for his bosses.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
