As Bud Selig sat in front of his TV on Sunday watching that dramatic ending to the Brewer game, tears filled his eyes. For a man who fought so hard for Miller Park, revenue sharing and the wild card, this had to be a fulfilling day.
He told others that for baseball to remain in Milwaukee, they needed a new park. A park that was state of the art, with suites, a roof, and real grass. CHECK
He told owners and teams that they needed some sort of sharing of revenue to keep the playing field even. So that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Mets couldn't just outspend everyone. CHECK
And finally, he told everyone that he was going to begin this crazy little thing called the Wild Card. It was going to be given to the team with the best record that didn't win their division. They would also go to three divisions. This was the thing of three of these that took the most criticism. It was going to ruin baseball he was told. It was ludicrous, a joke, how could he ruin such a pure game. CHECK
Years later, after getting these three great things passed, it all came to fruition. The WILD CARD going down to the last day, in the park he built, with HIS BREWERS, going against the big market Mets so to speak. What joy he must have felt Sunday in his suburban Milwaukee home with all these things happening.
So I say this to Mr. Selig. Thank you for doing all you've done for baseball and for my team. I know he takes a lot of unjust heat for one mishap called the All-Star snafu. But all in all, Bud has been a really good commissioner for a really long time. And if you're a Brewer fan, he's been a great commissioner.
He told others that for baseball to remain in Milwaukee, they needed a new park. A park that was state of the art, with suites, a roof, and real grass. CHECK
He told owners and teams that they needed some sort of sharing of revenue to keep the playing field even. So that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Mets couldn't just outspend everyone. CHECK
And finally, he told everyone that he was going to begin this crazy little thing called the Wild Card. It was going to be given to the team with the best record that didn't win their division. They would also go to three divisions. This was the thing of three of these that took the most criticism. It was going to ruin baseball he was told. It was ludicrous, a joke, how could he ruin such a pure game. CHECK
Years later, after getting these three great things passed, it all came to fruition. The WILD CARD going down to the last day, in the park he built, with HIS BREWERS, going against the big market Mets so to speak. What joy he must have felt Sunday in his suburban Milwaukee home with all these things happening.
So I say this to Mr. Selig. Thank you for doing all you've done for baseball and for my team. I know he takes a lot of unjust heat for one mishap called the All-Star snafu. But all in all, Bud has been a really good commissioner for a really long time. And if you're a Brewer fan, he's been a great commissioner.
1 comment:
Bud has been great for the game. He & the rest of the owners in the "steroid" era turned a blind eye to rampant drug use, but Bud brought the game back from near disaster then and after the player's strike. Most of the media ignores the good Bud has done for the game and continues to blame him for what they think is wrong for the game, but Bud has always had the good of the game in mind and been successful with most of his decisions.
Without Bud Miller Park doesn't get built, revenue sharing doesn't happen, Mark A. doesn't buy the team and rescue the it from Wendy's wrath (Bud's worst decision), and the Brewers are likely playing somewhere else.
Thanks for what you have done Bud.
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