At MLB's owners meetings in Seattle last week, Rockies
Chair Jerry McMorris, who has led the search committee for a
new MLB commissioner, said, "My sense is that the draft (Bud
Selig) movement is stronger than ever." McMorris told Ken
Daly of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS that he hopes MLB's Exec
Council will "at least hear his nominees by phone in the
next few weeks." McMorris: "We have a certain group of
owners who feel strongly that we should keep Bud in place.
I feel strongly that it's time to get a decision made and
move on" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/14). Sources told Mark
Maske of the WASHINGTON POST that MLB owners "increased the
pressure" on Selig to take the job and a decision could be
made within the next few months. Selig, on a timetable for
an announcement: "I don't want to put a time limit on it.
I'll just say in the near future" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/14).
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE? In Seattle, Larry Stone called
Selig "the absolute wrong man" for the post. Stone: "Selig
steadfastly insists he's not interested in taking the job.
It's time to take him at his word" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/14). In
Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt wrote, "Assuming Selig is sincere
in his insistence he will not stay on, and McMorris' list of
candidates is legitimate, it will be interesting to see how
owners resolve the matter" ( JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/14).
INTERLEAGUE FINAL TALLY: MLB averaged 30,476 fans per
game through the first round of interleague play, a period
covering seven days and 84 games. Average attendance was
15.2% greater than the intraleague average so far this
season (MLB). In Fort Lauderdale, Mike Berardino wrote that
while interleague play "is great," there's a "crying need to
shake things up and crisscross schedules between
geographical divisions" (SUN-SENTINEL, 6/14).
