J.R. Tidwell, Sports, Sports Columnists
 By  J.R. Tidwell Published 
5:59 am Saturday, January 14, 2012

Selig does a good job in MLB

Selig has signed a contract extension through 2014. He has been claiming since 2006 that he would retire, but most people never believed this.

His wife Sue said he would not walk away from baseball when his contract was up this December.

She was right.

Selig took over as commissioner after Fay Vincent was canned in 1992.

29 out of the 30 MLB team owners voted to give him the extension.

Who was the one who voted no?

The AP was told by a source that wished to remain anonymous that it was San Diego Padres owner John Moores. He voted no in response to Selig’s deferment of a vote to sell the Padres to Jeff Moorad.

Selig said he deferred the vote because he needed some clarification on some financial information concerning the deal.

Apparently Moores didn’t take to kindly to this.

The other team owners basically started a movement to keep Selig.

His popularity most likely stems from the labor peace the MLB has had over the past 17 years.

There has not been a dispute since 1995, and Selig helped settle the labor arguments after the last of eight work stoppages occurred that year.

Selig helped get an agreement signed between the player’s union and owners in 2011 that guarantees no labor disputes through 2015.

This means the MLB will have had a 20-year run of labor peace under his tutelage.

In case you’re still wondering, Selig is my favorite commissioner of any major professional American sport. Roger Goodell and David Stern both just stared down strikes and major labor disputes. Stern — the worst of the bunch — saw half his 2012 season go up in smoke because he couldn’t get everyone to agree on a deal for so long.

Stern, who has been the center of several controversies during his tenure as the NBA commish, proved late last year by vetoing a trade that he can and will overstep his boundaries to try to appease the small-market teams who don’t want big and rich teams to stack up talent.

Sucks to be them. Either find a way to make more money, better the players you have or decide that losing is alright for you, NBA small-markets. Don’t hide behind Stern while begging him to keep the Lakers from getting better.

Also on Franklin County Times
Russellville to host MLK march on Monday
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Franklin County Martin Luther King Memorial Scholarship Committee is planning its annual commemoration march, which this year will ...
Career tech programs return to remodeled RHS building
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Students at Russellville High School returned from winter break last week to a newly remodeled and expanded Career Technical Education ...
Dowdy sentence delayed
Main, News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency.” Dowdy’s s...
MLK march is about ‘keeping the dream alive’
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Rev. B.J. Bonner was 11 years old in the summer of 1963 when the civil rights movement reshaped the South and communities across Al...
FCREA finalizes 2025, looks ahead to 2026
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 14, 2026
There are moments in our meetings that stay with you long after the chairs are folded and the dishes are washed. One of those moments came in November...
This year, let’s resolve to be more involved
Columnists, Opinion
January 14, 2026
Stop eating desserts. Go to the gym every day. Read 50 books this year. Learn a language. Start my retirement savings. Every year we make our resoluti...
RHS track looks ahead to state meet
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School track athletes have posted multiple top 10 and top 20 section finishes this season, along with podium performa...
Vote of Red Bay budget delayed until February
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RED BAY — City councilmembers will vote next month on the 20025–26 fiscal year budget. Mayor Mike Shewbart told the council last week the budget was n...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *