Rob Manfred elected to replace Bud Selig as commissioner

BALTIMORE -- Major League Baseball owners, after weeks of dissent and discord, elected Rob Manfred to replace Bud Selig as the game's 10th commissioner on Thursday.

Manfred, MLB's chief operating officer, was considered the favorite entering the owners meetings this week but faced stiff opposition from powerful Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno. They each supported Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.

The day started with Tim Brosnan, MLB vice president, business, dropping out as a candidate, leaving Manfred and Werner. Owners held multiple votes, with Manfred drawing to within one vote of the 23 needed to gain election. Finally, after a brief recess, all 30 owners voted in favor of Manfred.

"While Rob may not have been my initial choice for commissioner, the conclusion of a very good process was to name Rob as the person best positioned to help baseball endure and grow even stronger for the next generation of fans," Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Today's decision was reached by 30 owners voting separately but speaking, in the end, with one voice."

The election of Manfred also represents a victory for Selig, who promoted Manfred to COO last year and supported his candidacy.

"There were differences of opinion, but in the end we came together," said Selig, 80, who took over as interim commissioner in 1992 and has the second-longest tenure behind Kenesaw Mountain Landis (1920-44). "There is no doubt in my mind (Manfred) has the temperament, the training, the experience,"

Manfred, 55, will officially replace Selig on Jan. 25, 2015 and is expected to

receive a three-year contract.

"I am tremendously honored by the confidence owners showed in me today," Manfred said. "I have very big shoes to fill."

One of the top tasks for Manfred when he takes office is the labor agreement that is set to expire Dec. 1, 2016. Manfred has been the league's chief negotiator since 1998, and baseball has had labor peace since the 232-day lockout ended in March, 1995.

"The most important part of good labor relations is ongoing good communication between the bargaining parties," Manfred said. "It's not about making friends. It's about making sure that the other side knows where you are coming from."

Manfred will also be challenged the build consensus among the owners, a strength of Selig's that allowed him to push through many significant changes through the years.

"I think there's a huge amount of consensus (among owners) about certain types of effort to move the game forward," Manfred said.

"The (selection) process provided a great opportunity for the candidates to talk about issues they saw in the game, and maybe more important, to get feedback from the clubs to see where they want to go."

While it took multiple votes for Manfred to be elected, it certainly wasn't unprecedented. Baseball owners needed 19 ballots in 1968 to decide between Charles Finley and Michael Burke, and eventually appointed Bowie Kuhn.

Manfred, who grew up in Rome, N.Y., attended Harvard Law School, worked as outside counsel for MLB during the 1994 work stoppage and was hired by MLB in 1998.