Bud Selig: A Legacy of Failure

A few days ago, I wrote and article about taking personal responsibility for the steroid problem in baseball. I proposed that the blame should be equally shared among players, fans, and commissioner Bud Selig.

Today, it was released on ESPN.com that Bud Selig "does not want steroids blame." The commissioner was quoted as saying, "I don't want to hear the commissioner turned a blind eye to this or he didn't care about it. That annoys the you-know-what out of me."

Ironically, this statement substantiates my opinion that no one is willing to stand up and take responsibility for this problem. It seems the commissioner is perfectly willing to hang one or two superstars out to dry, but prefers to wash his hands clean and be held blameless. 

When asked specifically about A-Rod, Selig responded as such: "Rodriguez has shamed the game and will have to live with the damage he has done to his name and reputation ... The reason I'm so frustrated is, if you look at our whole body of work, I think we've come farther than anyone ever dreamed possible.  I honestly don't know how anyone could have done more than we've already done."

To anyone who has been paying attention to baseball for the past decade, this statement is ludicrous. The fact is, Selig has been an utter failure as the commissioner and should be removed from office immediately.

In his time as commissioner, Selig in responsible for instituting a number of ratings-driven policies like the wild card and divisional series. He also reinstated George Steinbrenner from his lifelong suspension while refusing to do the same for Pete Rose, setting a double standard and raising suspicion he allows his personal relationships to interfere with his job. 

His inability to negotiate with the player's union led to the strike in 1994 and the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in nearly 100 years. During his tenure, Major League Baseball has seen a rise in substance abuse and a plummet in ratings.

This failure as the commissioner comes from Selig's inability to effectively deal with the player's union and fight for what is actually important to the future of baseball. As commissioner, he should be fighting for things like a zero-tolerance substance abuse policy and a salary cap instead of worrying about gimmicks like the World Baseball Classic. 

I sympathize with Selig in having to deal with an entrenched union of players, but it is his job—and he gets paid well, nearly $14.5 million a year—to fight for the future of baseball.  

If he were the commissioner of any other league, Selig would have been fired by now for his utter failure to effectively do his job. It is time for a change.

We need a commissioner who will take responsibility for his shortcomings, not blame the most convenient scapegoat. 

We need a commissioner who will fight for policies that will help bring this embarrassing chapter in baseball history to an end. 

We need a commissioner who will stand up for the integrity of the baseball. 

It is time for Bud Selig to step down so baseball can move on.