By now every baseball fan knows that future first ballot Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season after what will be a stellar 20-year career – all with the New York Yankees. But there is another baseball icon also leaving the game following the 2014 World Series, not as a player but as the man who has overseen the game for the past 22 years – MLB Commissioner Allan Huber “Bud” Selig.

Even though Jeter played in only 17 games in 2013, two of them were at Dodger Stadium on July 30 & 31. When Jeter announced that he is retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season, tickets for the final home game at Yankee Stadium sold out in a matter of minutes. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

While it is easy to find many people who admire Selig and praise him for the work that he has done since his appointment as interim commissioner in 1992 and later permanent appointment in 1998, it is also easy to find many people who dislike him and even loathe him for what he has done to the game.

During his 22 years as the most powerful man in baseball, Selig stood watch over the baseball strike of 1994-1995 that saw the cancellation of the 1994 World Series, the first time that the Fall Classic had been cancelled since 1904. He did, however, avoid what would have been the third work stoppage in eleven years in 2002. In addition to the expanded use of instant replay and the new “Posey Rule” to avoid home plate collisions for the 2014 season, Selig brought about these other changes to the game of baseball during his term:

• Realignment of teams into three divisions per league, and the introduction of playoff wild card teams (1994)
• Interleague play (1997)
• Two additional franchises: the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now the Tampa Bay Rays) (1998)
• Transfer of the Milwaukee Brewers from the American League to the National League (1998)
• Abolition of the American and National league offices and presidencies, and inclusion of all umpiring crews into a common pool for AL and NL games, instead of having separate pools per league (2000)
• Unbalanced schedule (2001)
  
• Home field advantage in the World Series granted to the winner of the All Star Game in the same season (2003)
• Transfer of Montreal Expos franchise to Washington, D.C., becoming the Washington Nationals (2004)
• Dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day (2004)
• Stricter Major League Baseball performance-enhancing drug testing policy (2005)
• World Baseball Classic (2006)
• Introduction of instant replay in the event of a disputed home run call (2008)
• Introducing a second wild card playoff team in each league (2012)
• Requiring the Houston Astros to move to the American League (2013), as a condition of the sale of the team to Jim Crane, resulting in each league having the same number of teams (15) and interleague play throughout the season

During Selig’s term, new stadiums were opened in Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas (Arlington), St. Louis, Washington DC, New York City (Yankees and Mets), Minneapolis and Miami.

Without question, Selig’s legacy will forever be that of having to deal with the so-called “steroid era” which came to light during congressional hearings in 2005 and in the Mitchell Report in 2007. Unfortunately, the use of performance-enhancing drugs continues to this day. And while it is the players themselves who shoulder the blame for using PEDs, there is little doubt that baseball (i.e. Bud Selig) turned a blind eye to the severity of the problem in order to recover from the devastating players strike of 1994. That being said, Selig has continually had to battle with the extremely powerful Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) every step of the way to bring about improved PED testing procedures. Until such time that the MLBPA willingly works with the MLB on these matters instead of against them, PEDs will continue to be a part of the game.

For all the good that Selig brought to the game, his legacy will forever be associated with the steroid era. (Photo credit – Bryan Bedder)

If there is an heir apparent to Selig it is a well-guarded secret – so secret, in fact, that there aren’t even any rumors as to who might succeed the soon to be 80 year old Milwaukee native. Some have hinted that perhaps Joe Torre might be given the job but Torre himself will be 74 years old in July. One name being floated around (at least on the West Coast) is former Dodgers general manager Dan Evans who is currently a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and Commissioner of the Northern League of Professional Baseball; he is also only 54 years old. But in all honesty there isn’t even a hint as to who Selig’s successor might be – not yet, at least.

While there may be many who dislike Bud Selig, MLB owners are not among them. When Selig was planning to step down after the 2012 season, 29 of the 30 MLB owners at the time voted for him in a show of confidence to remain for another two years, which he agreed to do. The lone dissenting vote was none other than beleaguered former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, whom Selig had ordered to sell the Dodgers in order to get the storied franchise out of bankruptcy.

Like him or loathe him and for better or for worse, Bud Selig has had a very difficult job during his 22 years as the Commissioner of Baseball. And while his successor remains a mystery, it is safe to say that right or wrong, Selig most likely will not receive the same farewell accolades that Derek Jeter will receive. However, it is also safe to say that like Jeter, Selig will also one day be enshrined in the sacred Halls of Cooperstown.