On Wednesday, Major League Baseball put out a news release announcing that the Major League Clubs have extended commissioner Rob Manfred’s contract for a third term. The extension will continue Manfred’s tenure through July 29, 2029, which would make it 15 years on the job.
John Stanton, who is chairman and managing partner of the Seattle Mariners and was selected to chair the meeting that approved the extension, said, “At a critical moment in the history of our game, commissioner Manfred has listened to our fans and worked closely with our players to improve America’s pastime… The significant momentum that MLB has built reflects his ongoing initiatives that are advancing.”
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Since Rob Manfred took the helm as the commissioner of baseball in 2014, there have been many ups and downs. However, the timing of this election could not have worked out any better for Manfred since, over the past couple of months, MLB has seen highs in attendance numbers across the league. Along with that, some recent accomplishments on his resume include the implementation of pace-of-play rules which have had great success this season and can be linked to the rise in attendance. With new rules such as the runner on second at the start of extra innings and, most notably, the pitch clock, the average time of MLB games has decreased by about 25 minutes. These recent rule changes have had a positive impact on Manfred’s reputation, helping counteract how he dealt with the Astros Cheating scandal and the 2022 lockout, among other things.
Commissioner Manfred spoke on his re-election, “It is an honor to serve the best game in the world and to continue the pursuit of strengthening our sport on and off the field… Together, all of us in the game will work towards presenting our sport at its finest and broadening its reach and impact for our loyal fans.”
