MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made the media rounds to commemorate yesterday marking his one-year anniversary in the position, and in a Q&A with YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan, he "reflected on the big issues of his first year." He also "looked at the game’s future and explored the questions most pertinent now," including the league's domestic-violence policy, a potential work stoppage and cord-cutting. Excerpts from the interview are below:
Q: The NFL damaged itself in how it handled the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases. What did you take away from the response and reaction, and how will that shape your domestic-violence punishment?
Manfred: When the domestic-violence issue moved to the forefront, we did a really careful review of how people handled domestic-violence problems in a variety of industries. For us, we concluded the most important thing for us to do was have a collectively bargained policy, and we thought that for two reasons. Only through collective bargaining can you have a complete approach to the issue -- education, counseling, discipline. If you don’t have the representative of the employees on board, you’re not going to get that complete, well-rounded approach. And point two: We think collectively bargained policies in disciplinary areas generally have more acceptance among the players because they provide them with certain safeguards that our players have been used to over time.
Q: How big of a disruption are cord-cutters going to be to a business that is so dependent on large local television contracts?
Manfred: Cord-cutting is a concern for us. The biggest concern with it is we don’t know exactly -- nobody knows -- how big and persistent this phenomenon is going to be. The cable model has served this industry really well. Anything that interrupts that model is something we have to worry about. Having said that, I do think our over-the-top capacity at BAM (MLB Advanced Media) and BAM Tech gives us downside protection that is a little more robust than other businesses.
Q: Do you have any plans for expansion?
Manfred: We’re a growth business. Sooner or later, growth businesses expand. Having said that, I do not have a timetable. It’s not a short-term project for us.
Q: The current collective-bargaining agreement expires in December. Is there going to be a labor stoppage before the 2017 season?
Manfred: I’m going to answer that one this way: I’m going to do everything humanly possible to make sure that doesn’t happen (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/25).
Manfred also talked to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, who noted the commissioner "crossed off an awful lot of items from his to-do list." His "organizational and persuasion skills will be put to the test this year as MLB and the Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the existing deal, which expires Dec. 1." Crasnick asked, "Can Manfred maintain harmony and build upon baseball's momentum with a style that differs from his predecessor?"
Q:You appear to be soliciting greater input from ownership voices that might not have been as prominent in the past.
Manfred: We have tried, on the ownership side, to create an atmosphere of open dialogue and participation by all 30 clubs. And I'm hugely positive about the way the 30 clubs have responded to that. You never know quite what to expect when you try to deal with an issue like this differently, because I do deal with it in a very different way than Bud did. While we haven't started at the (negotiating) table yet, we're deep in the preparation process, and I'm really encouraged that a little different approach has created great unity among owners.
Q: Any significant disappointments in terms of "unfinished business?''
Manfred: I'm very happy we got a market streaming deal done with the FOX Regional Sports Networks. If we're unable to get the rest of the groups done before the start of the 2016 season, that will be a disappointment to me. I think we'll get it done, but it's been a real grind. I'm glad we've gotten as far as we have on the 15 teams. I desperately would like to finish it up, but it's been a harder process than I thought it was going to be.
Q: Another issue that's generated debate and some criticism is MLB's association with DraftKings, the fantasy site. What's your take on that?
Manfred: I continue to be comfortable with our relationship with DraftKings, and I think you will see the major players in the fantasy space respond in a positive way to make fantasy games even better (ESPN.com, 1/25).
BIG PICTURE COMMISH: MLB.com's Richard Justice noted Manfred has "attempted to balance moving the game forward while respecting its history." Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said, "The reason I supported Rob is that he's a not a big-market guy, he's not a small-market guy. He tries to listen to everyone's concerns. He tries to do what he feels is right for the industry as a whole." Justice noted MLB's embrace of technology "has been perhaps the largest backdrop of Manfred's first year." Manfred said, "Social media is an opportunity to provide our fans with that type of access. 'Fan engagement' is a buzzword we all talk about all the time. But the purpose of a lot of this information is to allow the fan to understand the game better" (MLB.com, 1/25).
