61 Facts About Bud Selig

Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball.

Bud Selig initially served as de facto acting commissioner beginning in 1992 in his capacity as chairman of the Major League Baseball Executive Committee before being named the official commissioner in 1998.

Bud Selig was instrumental in organizing the World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Bud Selig is credited for the financial turnaround of baseball during his tenure with a 400 percent increase in the revenue of MLB and annual record breaking attendance.

The Brewers went to the 1982 World Series, and Bud Selig won seven Organization of the Year awards during his tenure.

On January 17,2008, Bud Selig's contract was extended through 2012, after which he planned to retire, but he then decided to stay as commissioner until the end of the 2014 season, a move approved by the owners on January 12,2012, which would take his leadership past his 80th birthday.

Bud Selig made $14.5 million in the 12-month period ending October 31,2005.

Bud Selig announced on September 26,2013, that he would retire in January 2015.

Bud Selig was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bud Selig was born in Milwaukee, and grew up in a Jewish family.

Bud Selig served two years in the US Army before working with his father who owned a car leasing business in Milwaukee.

Bud Selig continues to be involved in the automotive industry, serving as president of the Bud Selig Executive Lease Company.

An immigrant from Ukraine, Marie Bud Selig attended college, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the early 20th century, and became a school teacher.

When Bud Selig was only three, Marie began taking him and his older brother, Jerry, to Borchert Field, where the minor league Milwaukee Brewers played.

Bud Selig was devastated when he learned that the Braves were going to leave Milwaukee in favor of Atlanta.

Bud Selig developed a friendship with Hank Aaron, when the young player joined the Braves.

The elder Bud Selig's company provided loaner cars to Braves players, which gave the family access to the clubhouse and players.

Bud Selig arranged for major league games to be played at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Bud Selig followed this up by hosting nine White Sox regular-season games in 1968 and eleven in 1969.

Bud Selig entered into an agreement to buy the club, but the American League vetoed the sale, preferring to keep an American League team in Chicago, which at the time was still America's second-largest city.

Under Bud Selig's watch, the Brewers won seven Organization of the Year awards.

Bud Selig was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

Bud Selig became an increasingly vocal opponent of Commissioner Fay Vincent, and soon became the leader of a group of owners seeking his removal.

Bud Selig has never stated that the owners colluded, while Vincent has:.

Bud Selig had by this time become chairman of the Executive Council of Major League Baseball, and as such became de facto acting commissioner.

Bud Selig suspended Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott for a year in 1993 for repeated racially insensitive and prejudicial remarks and actions.

Bud Selig was a close friend of the late Bart Giamatti, who was the commissioner when Rose was first banned from the sport in 1989.

On September 11,2001, Bud Selig ordered all baseball games postponed for a week because of the terror attacks on New York and Washington.

Concerned for the arms of the pitchers currently on the mound, Bud Selig made the controversial decision to declare the game a tie, to the dissatisfaction of the Milwaukee fans.

Bud Selig later said that this call was "embarrassing" and that he was "tremendously saddened" by the outcome of the game.

Bud Selig subsequently tried to reinvigorate the All-Star Game by awarding the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series; that practice was initiated in 2003 and continued through 2016.

On July 1,2005, Bud Selig suspended Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers for 20 games and fined him US$50,000.

Bud Selig was then led away by a teammate and later sent home by the Club.

On July 22,2005, Bud Selig heard Rogers' appeal of his suspension.

Bud Selig decided to uphold the 20 games an independent arbitrator ruled that Bud Selig had exceeded his authority and reduced it to 13 games, but upheld the fine.

In 2005, Bud Selig faced Congress on the issue of steroids.

On March 30,2006, as a response to the controversy of the use of performance-enhancing drugs and the anticipated career home run record to be set by Barry Bonds, Selig asked former US Senator George J Mitchell to lead an independent investigation into the use of steroids in baseball's recent past.

Bud Selig announced in July 2007 when Bonds was near 755 home runs that he would attend the games.

Bud Selig was in attendance for Bonds' record-tying home run against the San Diego Padres, sitting in Padres owner John Moores' private suite.

When Bonds hit his 755th home run, Bud Selig refused to applaud Bonds' accomplishment, instead choosing to keep his hands in his pockets and have a look of disdain on his face.

Bud Selig has been widely criticized for not taking an active enough role to stem the tide of steroid use in baseball until it had blossomed into a debilitating problem for the industry.

Congressman Cliff Stearns said in December 2007 that Bud Selig should resign because of use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball during his tenure.

Bud Selig has made some decisions involving the Houston Astros that were unpopular with their supporters.

Bud Selig ordered the roof at Minute Maid Park to be opened for games three and four of the 2005 World Series, pre-empting the authority held by the Astros.

For Hurricane Ike in 2008, Bud Selig mandated that the Astros play two home games against the Chicago Cubs in his hometown of Milwaukee despite proximity to the visiting Cubs; the home ballparks for the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves were both available to host the games.

In 2011, Bud Selig demanded that the Astros move to the American League West as a condition of the sale of the franchise to businessman Jim Crane; the team switched leagues in 2013 in return for $70 million discount in the purchase price.

Bud Selig rejected the television deal that Frank McCourt negotiated that intended to bring the franchise out of bankruptcy, claiming McCourt violated the Baseball Agreement.

Bud Selig notably failed to resolve a 6-year conflict between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics regarding the Athletics' proposed move to San Jose.

Bud Selig established a blue-ribbon panel in 2009 to resolve the dispute; however, despite years to find a resolution, the blue-ribbon panel completely failed to make any progress toward resolving the issue, leading San Jose to sue MLB.

On December 1,2006, Bud Selig announced that he would be retiring as commissioner of baseball upon the expiration of his contract in 2009.

Bud Selig earned $14.5 million from MLB over the timespan October 31,2005 to October 31,2006.

However, in January 2008, Bud Selig agreed to a three-year contract extension, announcing he planned to retire after the 2012 season.

Bud Selig further decided against retirement, and after a two-year extension for the previous deal was agreed to on January 12,2012, it was announced that Selig would remain commissioner until the end of the 2014 season.

In 2021, Bud Selig was appointed as "non-voting co-Chair" for the December 2021 Early Baseball Era Committee meeting, to consider candidates for election to the Hall of Fame whose major contributions to the game took place prior to 1950.

Bud Selig has overseen the following changes in Major League Baseball:.

In 2009, Bud Selig began teaching as an adjunct professor of sports law and policy at Marquette University Law School.

In February 2016, Bud Selig joined the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

Bud Selig was awarded the US Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award in April 2015 for supporting soldiers, veterans and their families through his work in Major League Baseball.

In 2014, Bud Selig was inducted onto the inaugural Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor.

On December 4,2016, it was announced Bud Selig was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

In 2016, Bud Selig was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation.