MLB's Executive Council, minus Acting Commissioner Bud
Selig, will serve as the search committee for a new
commissioner, according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON
POST. The decision was made as MLB owners opened their
quarterly meetings in Scottsdale, AZ (WASHINGTON POST,
1/15). ESPN's Peter Gammons said the "key" to a
commissioner search "will be which owners will be put on the
search committee by the executive council. If the search
committee is comprised of a lot of friends of Bud Selig, the
search could go on ad infinitum" ("SportsCenter," ESPN,
1/14). MLB's commissioner search was examined by Nick
Charles on "CNN/SI." Former MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn:
"This is a diverse group of people with diverse agendas and
in order to make the game work successfully you've got to
have a strong leader at the top." Former MLB Commissioner
Peter Ueberroth: "The next commissioner should be probably
someone that doesn't need the money, doesn't need it for an
ego point of view, who'll go in there and is dedicated to
the game" (CNN/SI, CNN, 1/14). D'Backs' Jerry Colangelo, on
the position: "No big names ... Now that you have labor
peace, revenue sharing and real stability, you take the next
logical steps: Finish the structure and get on with the
marketing the product" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/15).
NOT LEVINE-ING? MLB negotiator Randy Levine is "nearing
a decision" about whether to remain with MLB, according to
Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Levine could keep an MLB
job "if he wants it," but could also "return to New York
City politics." Levine "plans to make a decision within the
next few weeks" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/15).
