From Maury Brown:
Commissioner Bud Selig earned over $18 million for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31, 2007, making him by far the highest paid commissioner in all of sports, according to a report by the SportsBusiness Journal…According to Fisher of the SBJ, “Entering 2009, only seven MLB players will earn more this year than Selig’s $18.35 million of two years ago.”
I guess that we should not be surprised, as Selig is the CEO and czar of a multi billion dollar industry. However, that salary seems particularly obscene considering that Selig does not seem to possess any form of valuable and rare skill such that he is close to irreplaceable.
Bud has done a good job in increasing the excitement surrounding the regular season by instituting interleague play and the wild card. However, his reign has been somewhat of a mixed bag, what with the steroid scandal and the allowing of the TV networks to basically set the postseason schedule. This information hurts Selig’s credibility in regard to his cries about the financial state of the game and the need for salary reform. Additionally, with President Obama calling for CEO salaries and bonuses to be brought to non-obscene levels, Selig’s earnings are sure to raise some eyebrows.
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2 Responses to Bud Selig Can Afford Two Smoltz's And A Burrell
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TIQ IQ
Love the title, Moshe. I also think the salary is obscene. He has done a good job in terms of promoting the game, however, in light of the steroid scandals that occurred on his watch, I think he should see a salary decrease. Of course, that’s just me and it’s probably impractical, but, nonetheless, it’s how I feel.
I’m really curious about how his tenure will be looked at in 25 years. He brought huge revenues, but the history of the game was tarnished. If the steroids era stuff fades a bit, I bet he gets looked upon fairly well.