Skip to main content

Bud Selig Timeline

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

Timeline of Bud Selig's tenure in charge of Major League Baseball:

Sept. 9, 1992 - Selig is appointed to the newly created role of chairman of the executive council, two days after Commissioner Fay Vincent resigned following a no-confidence vote.

Feb. 3, 1993 - Selig suspends Cincinnati owner Marge Schott for one year starting March 1 for using ''racially and ethnically insensitive, offensive and intolerable'' language.

Sept. 9, 1993 - Owners vote to add another round of playoffs for 1994 that include two wild cards, resulting in doubling of the postseason to eight teams, and to divide each league into three divisions instead of two.

Sept. 14, 1994 - Selig cancels the World Series for the first time in 90 years after players, fearful owners will implement a salary cap after the season, struck on Aug. 12.

March 9, 1995 - Owners vote to add expansion teams Arizona and Tampa Bay for the 1998 season.

March 31, 1995 - Players end their 232-day strike when U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor issues a preliminary injuction ordering owners to restore free agent bidding, salary arbitration and the anti-collusion provisions of baseball's expired collective bargaining agreement.

Jan. 18, 1996 - Owners approve the start of interleague play for the 1997 season.

March 14, 1997 - Players and owners agree to a labor contract through the 2000 season with a union option to extend it through 2001, a deal that institutes revenue sharing and a luxury tax.

April 15, 1997 - On the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier, Selig retires Robinson's No. 42 throughout the major leagues.

Nov. 6, 1997 - Following authorization by owners on Oct. 15, the executive council approves switch of Milwaukee to the National League for 1998.

July 9, 1998 - Selig is elected commissioner after repeatedly saying he would never take the job.

Jan. 19, 2000 - Owners vote to eliminate American and National League offices, which leads to merging of umpires into a consolidated staff under a March agreement with the World Umpires Association.

Jan. 20, 2000 - Owners approve giving all club Internet rights to Major League Baseball, leading to the formation of MLB Advanced Media.

Aug. 7, 2002 - Players and owners agree to their first joint drug agreement since 1985, announcing urine testing will start with survey testing in 2003 that could lead to testing with penalties in 2004. Following pressure from Congress, the agreement is toughened in January 2005, November 2005, April 2008, November 2011, January 2013 and March 2014.

Jan. 16, 2003 - Owners approve giving World Series home-field advantage to the league that wins the All-Star game, which players agree to in May.

Aug. 19, 2004 - Owners approve the launch of a World Cup-style tournament in 2006, which is later named the World Baseball Classic.

Dec. 3, 2004 - Owners conditionally approve the move of the Montreal Expos to Washington for the 2005 season.

May 17, 2007 - Owners approve formation of the MLB Network, which will launch on Jan. 1, 2009.

Aug. 26, 2008 - Selig reverses years of opposition, and players and owners announce umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Aug. 28.

Nov. 17, 2011 - MLB announces Houston will move to the American League as soon as the 2013 season.

March 2, 2012 - Players and owners agree to expand playoffs to 10 teams with the addition of a second wild card in each league.

Sept. 26, 2013 - Selig announces his final day as commissioner will be Jan. 24, 2015.

Jan. 16, 2014 - Owners approve vast expansion of video review for umpires starting with the 2014 season.