Monday, January 13, 2014

Bud Selig: longest serving member of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

Allan Huber "Bud" Selig has been a director since 1976.  1976!  Selig has also been commissioner of the Major Baseball League since 1992.

Here is the lineup in alphabetical order:

Board of Directors of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Jane Forbes Clark: Chairman since 2000, director since 1992.
    - President of The Clark Foundation
    - Chairman of The Farmers’ Museum
    - President of The Scriven Foundation

Joe L. Morgan: Vice Chairman since 2000, director since 1994.  Hall of Fame 1990; Executive and Nominating committees

Kevin S. Moore: director and treasurer since 1992.
    - president of The Clark Estates, Inc.

Paul Beeston: director since 1998; Executive Committee
   - Major League Baseball president and chief operating office from July 1997 to March 2002, reporting directly to the commissioner
    - Toronto Blue Jays: former president and CEO

William O. DeWitt Jr: director since 1998; Nominating and Development committees
    - St. Louis Cardinals chairman and general partner

William L. Gladstone: director since chairman Development Committee; member Finance Committee
    - Ernst and Young co-chief
    - Tri-City ValleyCats, Inc.principal owner and president; Houston Astros affiliate, New York-Penn League

David D. Glass; directors since 2000; Pension Committee.
    - Kansas City Royals owner , chairman and CEO
    - Major League Baseball Executive Council
    - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. president and CEO

Phil Niekro: director since 2008;  Hall of Fame in 1997.

Jerry Reinsdorf: director since 2008.
    - Chicago White Sox owner
    - Major League Baseball Executive Council, a past chairman Ownership Committee, Player Relations Committee

Brooks Robinson: director since 1995; Pension Committee;  Hall of Fame 1983

Frank Robinson: director since 1998; Hall of Fame 1982
    - Major League Baseball vice president of on-field operations

Dr. Harvey W. Schiller: director since 2009.
    - GlobalOptions Group, Inc. Chairman and CEO

Tom Seaver: director since 1995; Hall of Fame 1992; Finance Committee

Allan H. (Bud) Selig: director since 1976

Edward W. Stack: director since 1977; Chairman 1977-2000; Executive and Finance committees.
______________________________________

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum

The Hall of Fame was founded in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark, the owner of a local hotel. Clark sought to bring tourists to a city hurt by the Great Depression, which reduced the local tourist trade, and Prohibition, which devastated the local hops industry. The Hall of Fame was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (Clark's granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark, is the current chairman of the Board of Directors.)
______________________________________

OK, you get the whole Clark thing.  But Bud Selig?  A director since 1976?  Who the heck knew that?

I count 16 board members, including at least two, probably three, Clarkies.

Owners and/or executives of:
St. Louis Cardinals
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox

Players made directors after induction:
Joe Morgan
Phil Niekro
Brooks Robinson
Frank Robinson
Tom Seaver

I wonder how many commissioners have been directors, especially while they were commissioner.  Fay Vincent was commissioner 1989-1992 but he's not a director.  Of course, Selig and Reinsdorf, two current directors, led the group of owners who voted no confidence in Vincent forcing his resignation.  Selig then replaced Vincent and became acting commissioner.  He's still acting.

Conspicuous by their absence are any union leaders or writers.  The writers vote on the players for induction.  Maybe also being a director would be considered a conflict of interest.  Funny how that works.

No comments: