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MLB commissioner Bud Selig 100 percent committed to retirement

By Patrick Schmidt

Oct 27, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; MLB commissioner Bud Selig attends a press conference to present the 2013 Hank Aaron Award prior to game four of the MLB baseball World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; MLB commissioner Bud Selig attends a press conference to present the 2013 Hank Aaron Award prior to game four of the MLB baseball World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bud Selig
Oct 27, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; MLB commissioner Bud Selig attends a press conference to present the 2013 Hank Aaron Award prior to game four of the MLB baseball World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has backed off previous retirement plans in the past so when he announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2014 MLB season there was a fair share of skeptics who believed Selig could be persuaded.

However, Selig’s comments to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, indicate the longtime commissioner is adamant that this is his final year.

"“It’s 100 percent,” said Selig, who will turn 80 in July. “This is definitely it. I’m more comfortable today than I was when I [announced] it in October, if that’s possible. Jan. 24, 2015, is it. And I’m very comfortable with that. I’m done.”"

Selig has held this position since 1992 when he initially took over on an interim basis for Fay Vincent and has held the position longer than ant other commissioner with the exception of the first MLB commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis who held the position from 1920 to 1944.

Selig says he wants to go on a farewell tour visiting all the ballparks and meeting and talking with season-ticket holders, ball park personnel and connecting with people who love baseball.

During Selig’s tenure he has introduced one wildcard team in each league that would make the postseason in 1994 and then two in 2012.

He also introduced interleague play, added four expansion franchises, moved the Montreal Expos to Washington, created the World Baseball Classic, added instant replay and awarded home field advantage for the World Series to the league who wins the All-Star Game.

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