While on his final trip around the bases, BUD SELIG often spoke of how even he was stunned by the breadth of the transformation MLB underwent during his 22 years as commissioner. Interleague play. Revenue sharing. Two wild-card slots in the playoffs, and then two more. Pooled Internet rights. Improved competitive balance. Labor peace. It all happened while an industry that was worth about $1B when he took office grew to approach $9B when he retired last year. A savvy consensus builder who often was criticized for moving too deliberately in the early days of his tenure, only to emerge as the architect of unprecedented change, Selig is the recipient of the SportsBusiness Journal/Daily Lifetime Achievement Award for '16. Through five decades in baseball, Selig earned a reputation for dogged pursuit, whether to achieve his own goals or forward the agenda that he thought best for the game, a game long deemed to be burdened by its traditions managed to remake itself as a business while preserving its core. Time and again, Selig built consensus, understanding each club’s priorities and hot buttons, and making sure each got enough of what it needed to go along with what was best for the whole. Selig will be honored on May 18 at the Sports Business Awards in N.Y. Read the full story about Selig's honor.
