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"Bud Selig will step down as commissioner of Major League baseball following the 2012 season."

Hallelujah!

As slow as MacPhail is, you can expect 4 hour games as the norm if he gets the job.

If it is Andy - it not happening until after 2012 gives us time for the fruits of the current O's plan to to fully ripen. I wish we could sign him for life though...

My prayers have been answered. Its a shame its gonna take that long. The guy is a puppet and not a good one at that.

By Bud, Been a long time coming.

IMHO, the O's need Andy more than MLB does.

Not soon enough Bud...

Roch, is McPhail interested in the job? Lets hope not
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We haven't discussed it, but that's the assumption. I can't see any reason why he wouldn't be. - Roch

I find this alarming

Hey Guys:

It could always be worse and Brummie could get the job of running baseball. Just picture! Oh the horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about Cal?

Roch,
I remember hearing a year or two after he retired a few prominent national baseball writers saying they thought that there was a very good chance that Cal Ripken might be Commissioner of Major League Baseball one day. While I am sure he would not be a candidate at all this go round, do you see him possibly taking that position in the future (possibly stepping in as GM somewhere in the meantime)?
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I'm not sure when he'd find the time, but that's a subject I'd like to explore with him one of these days. - Roch

If "W" becomes the commissioner he would probably launch an attack on the NBA for something the NFL did.

This is good news, Selig doesn't care about our plight. He says: "the only teams the bitch about competitive balance are Toronto, Tampa Bay and Baltimore." And thats a direct quote pulled from when he was a guest on Cal & Billy's radio show last year. Plus he never answers his mail, I have written many complaint letters to him and he just doesn't want to hear from his customers, he only wants their money. Speaking of which, he earns 17 million a year, for what? I can't wait until this used car salesman is history, anyone would be better, even George Bush would be huge improvement.

"You can also add former president and Texas Rangers co-owner George W. Bush to that list."

Year 1: Everyone finds Commissioner Bush's propensity for verbal faux pas humorous, even somewhat charming. Bush insists that he's very happy to be in charge of America's "Pabst time." Bush takes a two month vacation, starting in April.

Year 2: Everyone laughs off Bush's initial comments about the NFL's intentions to hoard MLB fans in August by expanding the NFL season to 18 games and reducing the preseason to 2 games.

Year 3: Laughter turns to confusion when Bush orders all MLB players to attack NFL players in the middle of the first Sunday of the season armed only with gloves and whiffle ball bats. Most MLB players suffer career ending injuries. Carlos Delgado is expelled from the game for protesting the attacks.

Year 4: Forced to field their AAA teams, organizations watch helplessly as stadiums around the country are all as empty as OPCY. Bush is removed from office and the season is canceled a week before what would have been the All-Star break. New commissioner Andy MacPhail promises to restore integrity to the game.

Year 5: Convinced the game is slowly heading in the right direction, America eagerly tunes into the first post Bush era World Series, where the Orioles defeat the Pirates in 7 games. Fox News reports that things are worse than ever. Glenn Beck and his co-host, who insists he is an Oriole fan, demand MacPhail offer his resignation.

God help baseball if Bush is named commissioner!!!

Hasn't this guy had several rumored retirement dates over the past few years?

This guy is planning a bigger farewell tour than Cher!

Bryan M. said:
Does Alomar go in as an Oriole? How is that determined?
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He won two World Series with the Blue Jays, so I'm certain he'd pick them. - Roch

Schoolman,
I remember this topic surfacing recently; the choice of team for a player who played for two or more organizations is made by Cooperstown, not the player.

It would be ludicrous to argue that pitchers don't belong in the Hall of Fame because fielding and hitting are not considerations for assessing their worthiness for election.

Pitchers are judged by how they did what their position required them to do. They were excellent pitchers - the best of their era; but, they were not required, or expected, to be well-rounded ballplayers.

It seems fair that we should apply the same reasoning to designated hitters.
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You're probably right, but my understanding is Cooperstown only gets involved if the choice is considered outrageous, like Gary Carter wanting to go in as a Met instead of an Expo (though he did win a World Series with them). Or if Randy Johnson wants to go in as a Giant. - Roch

Maybe the reason he's a popular choice among owners is they are afraid of how good the Orioles are going to be with what he's doing here and are using it as a tactic to hurt them.

amarie said:
BaltJohn...
add me to your minority of Oriole fans who have no ties to the area. No relatives from the area. Heck, I'd never even BEEN to Baltimore until...2001? And yet...Oriole fan since...well, whenever the Indians traded Duane Kuiper to San Francisco.

(I'm called many things, but over-reactionary and dramatic are NEVER mentioned!!)
AMARIE........Now there are two in the club.....my point remains the same.......I grew up three blocks from the stadium and have been an Oriole fan since day one........I moved when I was 8 but have never thought about dumping the O"s & rooting for another team......Once again, Why would you dump the team you grew up with ?.......Because they traded Duane Kuiper ? .....Are you serious ?.......The O's have committed far worse acts than that, however,..... It's an O's fan for life for me......How would I go about choosing another team ?.......I know, put a map on the wall, throw a dart, & see what city it hits.....OK.....Here I go.......Damm, Milwaukee.......Let me throw another dart.

Oh man, please don't let us get back to the edge of respectability and competability (is that a word?) only to have it yanked away from us again! I'm all for replacing Bud Selig, I just don't want to lose Andy in the process. :o(

Please God, let the next commisioner of baseball put an end to the stupidity known as the "World Baseball Classic"!

I would love to see George W. Bush as Commissioner. Here is why:

1. Bush cares greatly about the game of baseball and is someone with experience as an executive at the highest level as President of the United States.

2. He is not so tied to the owners. Selig carried baggage as the former owner of the Brewevers when he took over as Commissioner. It has been while since Bush was a co-owner of the Texas Rangers.

3. He is not an insider as DuPuy and Manfred are. It is good to get fresh perspectives and Bush would bring that.

If not Bush, then MacPhail would be the next best person. Here is why:

1. He is not that much of an insider, so he may have a fresh perspective.

2. He is close enough to the players with his current duties that he would have a balanced approach.

3. He has been with a number of organizations so he is not tied down to just one team. People can not say he is a Cubs guy, or a Twins guy or an Orioles guy. He is more of a baseball guy.

If not Bush or MacPhail, Bob Costas, may be the next best person. Here is why:

1. Even though he annoys me (although I am getting over that), he is a reasonable baseball mind and well respected.

2. He is for MLB realignment, which the game needs, even if it is moderate like he suggest in his book a few years ago.

3. He is not an insider and would bring a fresh perspective. No baggage. Clean image from what I can tell.

All three of these guys would be great for MLB for obvious reasons.

God bless,

M.T.P.
Northern VA Orioles Fan

Roch

If Andy MacPhail took the job as commish, who would step into his roll as GM?
Would there be a nationwide search or does AM say put Wayne Krivsky in as GM?
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Hard to predict what will happen two years from now. If it happened today, Krivsky would most likely be the successor. - Roch

YEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Two more years of "the plan" and then we will finally have real leadership in the Warehouse.

Roch,
You seem to have alot of democrats on your blog.
I would really hope Mr. MacPhail will stay. He would be hard to replace with they type of owner we have and having to compete in the American east.

Hey Roch

You got a button on this blog to turn OFF the politics. Running baseball is far different than leading a country (you can't fine or suspend the voters). Also, can the Commish direct changes in the leagues without the consent or concurrence of the majority of owners? I seem to recall a reference to the "Rules Committee". Please enlighten me omnipotent Blogger!
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I don't know all the ins and outs of being commissioner, but I'm sure the owners have a vote in most, if not all, matters. - Roch

Thank God Selig will be gone! MLB needs change in many areas and Selig will never make them.
I'm fine with Bush! I see no problem with having someone who cares about making the popular decision. Cal would be a great candidate also.
Roc you should apply!

I don't want to talk about Selig. He's a fraud, always has been. I thought of something today, and if I don't say something I'll forget it.

I remember that the Yankees made overtures about making Nick Swisher available in the trade market. Do you think (1) he's still available, (2) the Yanks would trade within the division, and (3) he'd be a good fit at 1B for us? Good power from both sides of the plate, good plate discipline, wacky Miller-esque clubhouse guy, not atrocious defensively. Just a thought, and wondered if anyone else shared my opinion.

is Bud just trying to upstage Oprah's retirement announcement??

I would hire Bush to manage the taco meat at taco bell.

If W. is commissioner I'm done with Baseball.

It doesn't matter who replaces Bud. The "Office of the Commissioner of Baseball" is wholly owned by the Owners of Baseball. Whoever comes along will still be a puppet of management.

Unless, of course, congress steps in...

John said:
"Bud Selig will step down as commissioner of Major League baseball following the 2012 season."

Hallelujah
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I'll bet he winds up in the HOF.

Man, how awesome would it be if W became the commish... maybe comedy central could bring back Lil Bush for a few more seasons. Best Hot Dog Jokes Ever!

BaltJohn...C'mon, man. You realize that you're tearing me apart over a decision I made when I was SEVEN? Have you ever tried to rationalize with a seven year old girl? No, really? Have you? Egads, if we were ALL judged so harshly over decisions we made at that age, we'd be in a pretty sorry mess. Of course, yourself excluded, no?
Fine, you're a "better fan" than I am. Woohooo! Do you want a cookie or a gold star for that? I can't say that Brooks was my favorite 3b because my hometown 3b was Toby Harrah? Wow. Tough crowd you are.
I went to seven different colleges. Which one do you feel I should be a fan of on game day? Or should I be a fan of the team whose school I lived closest to but never attended? What about USF, which didn't have a team when I went there? The schools I graduated from don't have football teams. So... I can't be a fan of any other teams, by your logic, right? What about the people in St Pete? The Rays can't have fans over the age of 11? (Or 12, if you count the year after the inaugural draft but before the Inaugural Season where all they had were A-ball teams. And then that would just be relevant to the die-hard baseball nerdy 12 year olds, really.) Should the people there just be fans of the teams they grew up with (because people in St Pete are never FROM St Pete, really) and not embrace the local team when it comes to town? What if they weren't even baseball fans when they lived elsewhere? So many variables here!
We can go back and forth on this all day, but in the end, I'm just debating with The Best Fan in the Whole Wide World. And losing, of course!

Roch, Dont you think Frank Robinson would be PERFECT for commissioner?? He doesnt take any crap from ANYONE....and wouldnt from ANY owner.

Palmer said:
Roch, Dont you think Frank Robinson would be PERFECT for commissioner?? He doesnt take any crap from ANYONE....and wouldnt from ANY owner.

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Exactly why he *wouldn't* be commissioner. The commissioner works "in the best interests of baseball", but only at the behest of the owners. So, the commissioner really works "in the best interests of baseball owners". Why do you think that even though the commissioner's office hands down slot recommendations for the amateur draft, there is no discipline when teams ignore it? There will never be another "independent" commissioner of baseball, as long as the vote is controlled solely by the owners. I'd like to see the player representative from each team get a vote as well, and I'd like for Congress to step in and threaten to revoke MLB's antitrust status if they don't grant the commissioner independent authority. That will never happen, of course, so it's no different from me wanting to lose 50 pounds by Christmas.

Ann Marie,
Please forgive BaltJohn - he knows not whom he is beating up with an overblown argument about why fans are limited in their choice of which team to follow. I know full well that you need no help defending yourself from a bogusmonger.

BaltJohn,
I can't imagine adopting another team - as long as the Orioles aren't contracted. But, for you to come on as strongly as you did to make a case against Ann Marie's choice of favorite team betrays an alarming lack of tolerance - or does it reveal how foolish you are? Probably both.

IF YOU ADMIRE BRIAN, YOU WILL MOST DEFINITELY WANT TO SCROLL THE FOLLOWING:
And then, we get to Angry Brian who somehow convinced himself that ocj was someone to be ostracized, belittled because he presents intelligent arguments, intelligently supported, and because he made a concerted effort to stifle the trolls.

Brian said:
OJC,
You were gone? Didn't notice actually, you aren't exactly a must read or as insightful as you perceive yourself. Take a few more months off, the therapy sessions didn't seem to help...

Brian,
Are you naturally this offensive, or do you have to practice? It's time, once again, to ask that you admit to a couple of your transgressions.

You accused ocj, and others, of inventing "trolls" to describe the SOR'S problem children. When presented with the truth -- "troll," meaning a destructive poster -- outdates this blog by many years, you did not have the decency or courtesy to admit your mistake.

In addition, you reasoned that fairness dictated that the group that invented the "troll" nickname also should be labeled with an appropriate name. I will not repeat your crude suggestion - it is in the archives - which, I am certain, came trippingly off your keyboard.

And still, no apology for slapping a vulgarity on a group that had not transgressed as you flatly stated it had in one, or more, of your posts.

Now, the allusion to moving the chairs on the Titanic. A phrase in common usage for over fifty years. You used it, I believe, in a comment on acquiring Gabino.

When a poster expressed his admiration for the image of arranging the chairs on a sinking ship, you accepted the praise modestly by saying only that the analogy seemed "apt."

Is "apt" the new plagiarism? We have a question of integrity - your integrity. So what if you didn't own up to using something in the public domain; so what if you lead a poster to admire your amazing talent to see through and label meaningless moves - as you see them - by the Warehouse?

The "so what" is another demonstration of your inability to simply apologize, or explain; wipe the slate clean and move on.

It's difficult for all student-posters to submit posts without revealing -- from time to time -- something about the inner-poster:
OJC, You were gone? Didn't notice actually, you aren't exactly a must read or as insightful as you perceive yourself. Take a few more months off, the therapy sessions didn't seem to help...

And, in conclusion, a post by Brian, which reveals, among other things, Brian's savant-like analytical prowess:
Roch, you can't block the 2 sinister posters, not because they don't deserve it, but because then the D'bags will have no one to attack or blame for everything. They will just turn on someone else here & find a new villain. Then the same problem will exist. IF the D'bag clan could just IGNORE the 2 guys, everything would be fine.

baltjohn said
I'm called many things, but over-reactionary and dramatic are NEVER mentioned!!)
AMARIE........Now there are two in the club.....my point remains the same.......I grew up three blocks from the stadium and have been an Oriole fan since day one........I moved when I was 8 but have never thought about dumping the O"s & rooting for another team......Once again, Why would you dump the team you grew up with ?.......Because they traded Duane Kuiper ? .....Are you serious ?.......The O's have committed far worse acts than that, however,..... It's an O's fan for life for me......How would I go about choosing another team ?.......I know, put a map on the wall, throw a dart, & see what city it hits.....OK.....Here I go.......Damm, Milwaukee.......Let me throw another dart.

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a person can't root for the team he/she wants. C'mon Man

-- I've always wanted to call Selig after one of my favorite movie characters, Zelig. And the name fits, because he blends in so well with ownership that he nearly destroyed baseball -- the '94 Strike and the blind-eye towards steroids and the Amazing Ever-Larger Baseball Player happened on his watch. He can't leave soon enough. If he stays, I'm sure something will happen that will renew my calls for a brand new baseball major league. If McPhail replaces him as Commish though, that would be good for the game, but really stink for us, unless they allow McP-Diddy to handpick his replacement as GM in Charm City.