Arrr! MLB's fine cap'n, Rob Manfred, declares he'll be leavin' once his pact be runnin' out.
2024-02-15
Avast ye landlubbers! The MLB Cap'n, Rob Manfred, hath declared that once his current parchment be sealed in January 2029, a new cap'n shall take the helm. Aye, the ship be sailin' on with a fresh leader, arrr!
In a humorous tone, Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that he will be stepping down from his position when his contract expires in 2029. At 65 years old, he joked that he will be 70 by the end of his current five-year term and believes that one can only have so much fun in a lifetime.Manfred's tenure as commissioner has been controversial. He faced backlash for not punishing members of the Houston Astros after their sign-stealing scandal in 2017. He also received criticism for downplaying the significance of the World Series trophy. In addition, he had conflicts with players and officials during a lockout and discussions about the Oakland Athletics' move to Las Vegas.
Despite these controversies, Manfred's main goal was to speed up the pace of play in baseball, and he succeeded in doing so. He implemented measures such as a pitch timer, shift limitations, and larger bases, which led to shorter game durations. In the 2023 season, the average nine-inning game took two hours and 39 minutes to complete, the fastest since 1985.
These rule changes also resulted in increased attendance, with MLB drawing 70.7 million fans in 2023, the most since 2017. Players adjusted to the pitch clock, and the number of violations decreased throughout the season. Stolen base attempts also increased to the highest level since 2012.
Overall, while Manfred's tenure has been controversial, he successfully achieved his goal of speeding up the game and attracting more fans to MLB stadiums. As he prepares to step down in the next five years, the future of baseball's commissioner position remains uncertain.