February 20, 1995
Mr. Bud Selig
Acting Commissioner, Major League Baseball
c/o Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI 53214
Dear Mr. Selig,
I had the pleasure of watching your February 15, 1995 testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee as it was televised on C-SPAN. I feel that you did an outstanding job of articulating the concerns of the owners in a way that I had not previously heard. Your recent published statements, including your recent letter in the New York Times, did not fully develop the owners position as well as you did for the Committee last week. I think most people see the difficult position that many teams are in.
You cited the Pittsburgh franchise several times and I think it is the best example of what is wrong with the current system. The fact that the Pirates were unable to retain any of the talented players they developed in the late 1980s, including Barry Bonds, is a tragedy not only for the city of Pittsburgh but for all of baseball. Nobody wants to see the teams in San Diego, Seattle, or even Milwaukee face similar fates.
Unfortunately, I found several of your arguments before the Committee to be lacking in credibility. It has been and continues to be my believe that the absence of a strong, independent commissioner is a major factor in this protracted labor dispute. In his autobiography, Marvin Miller argued (as you suggested) that the Commissioner's job is diluted by being responsible to (and wielding power over) only the owners. The perception among many observers is that a commissioner acting in the best interests of baseball would make decisions contrary to the decisions the owners are trying to implement. Do you really believe that appointing a commissioner today would impede progress towars a settlement?
Another perception that was not addressed in depth before the committee is that the decision to continue expanding is hypocritical. If, as was stated by Mr. O'Connor, four teams are on the verge of bankruptcy under the current system, why is any energy being devoted to creating even more franchises? The players have long argued (and I disagree) that the teams are lying about their financial woes, and the apparent hypocrisy of further expansion seems to support their argument. How does expansion make sense given the uncertainty of whether Baseball can even support its existing franchises?
You said during your testimony that you were speaking with the fans and answering all of their letters, and I would be very grateful if you could find the time to answer my questions. I grew up in Cincinnati in the seventies, a great time to become a Reds fan. Although I have not been a fan for as long as you have been involved in the game, I feel that the history of the game is unique and precious. The loss of what was becoming a great season last year, the cancellation of the World Series, and the impending use of replacement players have tarnished Baseball forever. I am afraid that Baseball as we knew it will never return.
Thank you for your time. If I can do anything to assist your efforts to achieve a working solution please let me know.
Sean Lahman
