MiLB President & CEO Pat O'Conner's announcement that he is retiring at the end of the year after 28 years with the league office was not unexpected. An MiLB source last week said it was a question of "when, not if" O'Conner would depart in light of MLB moving to ultimately take MiLB under its umbrella and also move the MiLB HQ from St. Petersburg to N.Y. O'Conner has maintained an old-school approach, believing that MiLB should remain an independent entity, like it has for more than a century. But an increasing number of new generation, business savvy minor league owners believe that the minor leagues are better served behind the muscle and backing of MLB with all of its resources to handle sponsorship, marketing and media rights efforts. But even MiLB sources acknowledge that they had no leverage from the start and that MLB would ultimately get the structure it sought. They lamented what they describe as the absence of a relationship between O'Conner and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem (Eric Prisbell, SBJ Unpacks).
WRITING ON THE WALL: THE ATHLETIC's Evan Drellich wrote between MLB’s actions and the "infighting among minor league owners it prompted, O’Conner’s fate appeared sealed." O’Conner was "no longer directly involved in the negotiations with MLB." He is "well regarded as a steward in his 13 years as president of Minor League Baseball, as a strong administrator who cut his teeth in the minors and subsequently had intimate knowledge of what different leagues and teams required." But "discontent grew among some owners in recent years as problems started to brew -- including some that partially influenced the current strife." In the end, it "looks like MLB will achieve most of what it wants to in these negotiations." The announcement of O’Conner’s exit was, "in many ways, still just an early domino" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/8).
