Rob Manfred has announced that he will retire as MLB commissioner by January 2029, ending a reign filled with controversies and breakthroughs.
Manfred, who received the post in 2015, will be 70 by 2029.
He insisted that he would walk away from his position contented and not seek an extension.
"You can only have so much fun in one lifetime," Manfred said via Evan Drellich. "I have been open with them (the owners) about the fact that this is going to be my last term."
He signed an extension through 2028 last year, his third contract since getting elected in 2014.
Rob Manfred's successor is yet to be named, but the current commissioner said that the process that got him voted will be used.
"There'll be a committee of owners that'll be put together, and they'll identify candidates, an interview process and ultimately someone or a slate of people will be put forward."
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Five years is a long time. Manfred will continue working.
Even though the end of his term has been determined, there is no doubt that he elevated the league and will continue doing so before 2029 comes.
Top 3 achievements of Manfred as MLB commissioner
1. Increase in MBL annual revenue
Manfred had issues, but the good things he did for the league are seen on bank statements.
Under his administration, the league's revenue increased by 51 percent. Profit growth lost a season after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down almost the entire world.
Forbes reported that "MLB saw revenues of between $10.8-$10.9 billion, a new record that has been confirmed by the league. The increase surpasses the prior record set in 2019 of $10.7 billion."
The report added that the MLB recovered from the pandemic faster than other sports institutions.
2. Modernizing baseball play
For a league as old as MLB, instituting major changes to how baseball is played is hard. Manfred tried to do that, and the league is succeeding so far.
It was, in fact, one of his major priorities when he assumed office in 2015.
"I think it is incumbent upon us to be responsive to concerns about [the] pace of [the] game," he said.
The changes were implemented just recently, but they are paying off.
The league implemented the pitch clock that limited defensive shifts in the 2023 season. Because of that, the games are now 28 minutes shorter compared to the seasons before. The 2023 season saw games end in under three hours, which was seen only in 2011.
The point of the changes is to make the game more appealing to the youth sector.
3. 2023 World Baseball Classic
The 2023 World Baseball Classic was a rousing success. It will return in 2026, and Manfred hopes to see more star players play for Team USA.
Manfred threw his all-out support for WBC, including convincing teams to make their players available to don the American colors. He talked to clubs and navigated doubts about their players' need to play in other leagues.
To convince them, buy-ins were instituted. Teams were also presented with data that the WBC could help them.
"It's not lobbying," Manfred said. "It's having facts to support it-that pitching in high-leverage situations like these are, that actually helps players develop."
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