BALTIMORE — For the first time in a generation, Major League Baseball will vote Thursday on a new commissioner. But that doesn’t mean a new commissioner actually will be named.
Nevertheless, many owners and club officials who attended Wednesday’s candidates presentation expressed hope the process would indeed conclude before they dispersed all over the continent.
“Why not? I would assume so,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said. “That’s what we’re here for.”
Said Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner: “That is certainly the goal. That’s why we’re all here. We’ll find out.”
If there is a winner Thursday — such a status would be attained by getting at least 23 of the 30 teams’ votes — it almost certainly would be MLB COO Rob Manfred, who is widely regarded as the favorite. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has led the charge against Manfred and has backed Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, who’s also believed to have the support of the Red Sox, Angels and Athletics. Reinsdorf needs eight votes to prevent Manfred from being crowned.
MLB executive vice president Tim Brosnan, Manfred and Werner, in that order, made presentations to a general assembly and then took questions from the audience. The process began at 1:30 p.m. in a conference room at the Hyatt Regency and wrapped up shortly after 5 p.m., so each candidate received about an hour’s time. On Thursday, the general assembly will split up into three groups and rotate the three candidates among them, to have more intimate gatherings, and then the vote will be held.
“Bill DeWitt and his committee did a great job,” Steinbrenner said of the Cardinals’ owner, who headed MLB’s succession committee. “They brought in three very viable candidates, and they all represented themselves well.” DeWitt told CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman he was “optimistic” the process would not need to go beyond Thursday.
Angels owner Arte Moreno, asked whether a new commissioner would be named Thursday, said, “I couldn’t tell you that. I’m one of 30 votes. And I was on the committee. I think it’s been a very fair process and very educational for me. I learned a lot.”
It isn’t clear what the time line would be if the sides end Thursday in a stalemate.