This just might be the world's earliest retirement announcement.
Rob Manfred will be stepping down as MLB commissioner upon the expiration of his contract in January 2029, he told reporters Thursday — almost five years in advance of the date. He'll be 70 years old by that time, he noted, and he'll be ready to sit back and relax.
"You can only have so much fun in one lifetime," Manfred said at a news conference Thursday. "I have been open with them (the owners) about the fact that this is going to be my last term."
Rob Manfred says this five-year term will be his last as MLB commissioner, which will end in early 2029 pic.twitter.com/CP81yK5iVl
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 15, 2024
The league's owners were made aware of his possible decision in July 2023, when they voted to extend his contract through January 2029. While owners may not relish the upcoming change of leadership, fans already are expressing their excitement. Manfred's time has commissioner has not been without controversy, as fans' reactions to the news attest.
MORE: Rob Manfred’s timeline of controversies as MLB commissioner
After the Astros' World Series cheating scandal became public in late 2019, Manfred somehow let almost every side down with his handling of the controversy. Team leaders received suspensions, but no players were punished or fined. The team was not stripped of its 2017 title, as he did not want to set any precedent.
"The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act," Manfred told ESPN's Karl Ravech. Referring to the Commissioner's Trophy as a "piece of metal" got as much backlash as you'd expect from players and fans alike.
Manfred's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out just months after the Astros cheating scandal came to light, resulted in additional backlash. While faced with an unprecedented situation, the league and players' union took months to agree on how the season should play out. Even then, the isolation policy was not strictly enforced, and at one point 20% of MLB players were infected.
And don't forget the 2021 All-Star Game relocation, which saw the game pulled from Atlanta in protest of a restrictive voting rights law in Georgia. The All-Star Game will be held at Atlanta's Truist Park in 2025.
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