Mercifully Bud Selig has stepped down and Rob Manfred will take his place as baseball commissioner in the new year. Selig, after seeing the attention that Jeter has garnered, decided to conduct his farewell tour of all the ballparks in Major League Baseball. He's in Southern California this week which means trips to San Diego this week and Los Angeles next. I hope the team awards him a body board with his likeness etched in the foam top.
Each ballpark and city has its own issues, some bigger than others. In San Diego we have a new-ish ballpark but have yet to host an All-Star Game. Selig won't be able to solve that problem while he's here and likely won't care about it since he'll be gone in the new year. It'll be up to Rob Manfred to get an All-Star game to San Diego in 2019 for the Padres' 50th anniversary.
Manfred already has earned more respect from me because of attendance and speech at Tony Gwynn's remembrance ceremony earlier in the summer. Fans noticed Selig's absence. Selig was never much help to Padres fans. He bungled the ownership exchange and failed to help with the lack of TV coverage. Maybe it's best that he didn't get involved. Look what he's done for Oakland.
It would have been nice if the commissioner had made more trips around the league throughout his career instead of holed up in his office or dining with the power elite. It's a little late for him to earn any good will or witness any problems first hand. So long Bud.
Looking forward to hosting Commissioner Bud Selig at @PetcoPark tomorrow!
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 25, 2014