COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — On the grand occasion of his Hall of Fame induction on Sunday, and on his 83rd birthday to boot, Major League Baseball’s commissioner emeritus, Bud Selig, had to endure a certain amount of catcalls, which is not the normal soundtrack in Cooperstown.
Commissioners, past and present, generally do not fare well with baseball crowds, and that was certainly the case this weekend. Selig was booed at an awards ceremony on Saturday and then heckled at times later that day as he sat in the back of a Ford truck, waving to critics at the annual parade in town.
He heard jeers again when his name was initially announced at the start of the induction ceremonies on Sunday, with the dissent coming from fans gathered beyond the reserved seating at the Clark Sports Center. But there were fewer jeers when Selig was actually introduced, and he later received a standing ovation from those sitting in front of the stage.
It was that kind of day for Selig, who became the first living commissioner to be inducted into the Hall since Ford Frick in 1970.
Four other men also entered the Hall on Sunday, and all were met with more universal good will. Jeff Bagwell, a slugging first baseman who played his entire career with the Houston Astros, spoke about his love of all-around offense, about stealing bases and driving defenses crazy with well-placed bunts. Tim Raines, the longtime Montreal Expos outfielder, thoroughly enjoyed his moment after waiting 10 years on the ballot.
Ivan Rodriguez, the catcher with the rifle arm who spent most of his years with the Texas Rangers, recalled how, as a boy, he would hang by his arms from rails to stretch his small frame. John Schuerholz, the architect of consistent contenders in Kansas City and Atlanta, told how he got his first job with the Orioles only because the Baltimore executive Frank Cashen knew and respected the Schuerholz family.
Selig experienced more uneven vibes, for several reasons. Because of Raines, many Expos fans were in town, and they still hold a grudge about Selig’s role in that team’s departure from the city. But other issues also hovered over Selig as he stepped to the podium.
Selig began as an acting commissioner in 1992, believing it was “a temporary assignment I was sure would only last only two or four months.” After 22 years in the post, he left behind a complex legacy that he at times addressed over the course of the weekend.
Under his leadership, baseball enjoyed great leaps in television revenue and signed eight-year extensions beginning in 2014 with Fox Sports, Turner Broadcasting System and ESPN worth a total of $12.4 billion.
Television viewership, however, did not always match such increases, a problem other sports have also encountered. In 1991, the World Series — the last one before Selig took over as acting commissioner — attracted an average viewership of 35.68 million. By the 2012 World Series, that number had fallen to 12.64 million.
Revenue sharing among franchises, a fresh concept introduced under Selig, created a more level playing field for smaller markets, although baseball remained the only major sport in America without a real salary cap.
“We needed to restore hope and faith to fans of every team, not just those who live in the largest cities,” Selig said in his acceptance speech in reference to the revenue-sharing strategy. And he noted that every major league team has participated in the postseason since 2001.
Selig was also a forerunner in acknowledging the pioneering impact of black athletes, and he proved a determined champion of civil rights and of recognizing the contributions of Jackie Robinson. Yet Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians’ criticized mascot, still adorns that team’s caps.
And Selig was chastised as too slow in reacting to steroid use by his players, although baseball, under his later prodding, went on to enact one of the tougher drug-testing policies in professional sports.
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