There is still not an "obvious choice to replace" MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, and it is "likely that we still won’t have a choice until the owners’ meeting in November," according to Tom Verducci of SI.com. The "unlikeliest scenario" is that MLB "brings in an unknown outsider from the business world." MLB COO Rob Manfred "appears to be the top choice among owners who want a smooth transition from Selig, but not from a smaller faction that sees an opportunity to cut in a new direction" (SI.com, 7/16). Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Bob Ford writes with Selig retiring, fans are "getting to the end of the line with a guy who has been good for all the things that won't last forever, and terrible in his stewardship of the game." Selig's supporters are "likely to point out the game's financial health, which is impressive at the moment." But as baseball's fans "age rapidly, as the price of tickets threatens to eliminate the average family, as the pace of the damn game slows to a crawl, the financial future isn't as secure" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/17).
