34 Facts About Fay Vincent

Fay Vincent attended Williams College, where a near-fatal accident left him with a crushed spine and paralyzed legs.

Fay Vincent had been locked inside his dorm room as a prank; climbing onto the roof to escape he slipped off a four-story ledge.

Fay Vincent overcame an initial diagnosis he would never walk again, but his leg never fully recovered and he has since relied on a cane.

Fay Vincent served as Associate Director of the Division of Corporation Finance of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

At the behest of his longtime friend, incoming Commissioner of Baseball Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent accepted the position of deputy commissioner.

Fay Vincent became acting commissioner when Giamatti died suddenly on September 1,1989.

In 1990, National League president Bill White was prepared to suspend umpire Joe West for slamming Philadelphia pitcher Dennis Cook to the field, but Fay Vincent intervened and no discipline was imposed.

On September 4,1991 the Committee for Statistical Accuracy, appointed by Fay Vincent, changed the definition of a no-hitter to require that a pitcher or pitching staff hold a team hitless for at least nine full innings and a complete game.

When Rose applied for re-instatement, which he was permitted to do under the terms of the settlement, Fay Vincent never acted on the request.

On October 17,1989, Fay Vincent sat in a field box behind the left dugout at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

Fay Vincent worked with both the owners and MLBPA, and on March 19,1990, Fay Vincent was able to announce a new Basic Agreement.

On July 30,1990, Fay Vincent banned New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner from baseball for life after Steinbrenner paid Howard Spira, a small-time gambler, $40,000 for "dirt" on his outfielder Dave Winfield after Winfield sued Steinbrenner for failing to pay his foundation the $300,000 guaranteed in his contract.

On June 24,1992, Fay Vincent permanently suspended pitcher Steve Howe for repeated drug offenses.

Fay Vincent was incensed when upper Yankee management agreed to testify on Howe's behalf, and threatened them with expulsion from the game:.

Three months later, Fay Vincent was removed from his job as commissioner.

In June 1991, Fay Vincent declared that the American League would receive $42 million of the National League's $190 million in expansion revenue and that the AL would provide players in the National League expansion draft.

Fay Vincent said the owners expanded to raise money to pay their collusion debt.

Just prior to leaving office, Fay Vincent had plans to realign the National League.

Fay Vincent wanted the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals to switch divisions with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves.

On July 17,1992, the Chicago Cubs sued Fay Vincent and asked the US District Court in Chicago for a preliminary injunction to prevent implementation, which was granted two weeks later.

Ultimately, Fay Vincent resigned before the litigation was scheduled to resume, so as a result, the Cubs dropped their suit.

The leaders in the movement to oust Fay Vincent were members of what The Sporting News later dubbed The Great Lakes Gang:.

Fay Vincent was never able to complete the five-year term that he had inherited from Bart Giamatti.

Fay Vincent was replaced on an interim basis by Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig, who was named the permanent replacement in 1998 and whose family continued to maintain ownership over the Brewers.

Fay Vincent served as the NECBL's president from 1998 to 2004.

In 2001, when baseball owners voted to contract two clubs, Fay Vincent criticized them for not consulting the players' union.

In 2002, Fay Vincent wrote his autobiography The Last Commissioner: A Baseball Valentine.

In 2005, during an interview with Fox Sports Radio, Fay Vincent shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers, who received a 20-game suspension for a tirade directed at two TV cameramen.

Fay Vincent has been critical of Major League Baseball's handling of the dreaded strike in 1994.

In March 2006, Fay Vincent called on baseball to investigate possible steroids use by Barry Bonds, saying the cloud hanging over his pursuit of the home run record is a crisis akin to the Black Sox scandal from 1919:.

Fay Vincent wrote in the April 24,2006 issue of Sports Illustrated, that with most of Bonds' official troubles being off the field, and with the strength of the players' union, there was little Bud Selig could do beyond appointing an investigating committee.

On October 18,2007, Fay Vincent appeared with sportscaster Bob Costas at Williams College for "A Conversation About Sports", moderated by Will Dudley, Associate Professor of Philosophy.

On May 28,1992, Fay Vincent was awarded an honorary doctoral degree at Central Connecticut State University.

Fay Vincent gave the 1992 Vance Distinguished Lecture at the university.