Rob Manfred

Robert D. Manfred Jr. (born September 28, 1958) is an American lawyer and business executive who is the tenth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and succeeded Bud Selig as Commissioner on January 25, 2015.

Rob Manfred
10th Commissioner of Baseball
Assumed office
January 25, 2015
Preceded byBud Selig
Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball
In office
September 28, 2013 – January 25, 2015
Preceded byBob DuPuy
Succeeded byTony Petitti
Personal details
Born (1958-09-28) September 28, 1958
Rome, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)Colleen
Children4
EducationLe Moyne College
Cornell University (BS)
Harvard University (JD)
Signature

Early life and career

Manfred was born on September 28, 1958, in Rome, New York.[1] He attended Rome Free Academy and graduated in 1976.[2] Manfred enrolled at Le Moyne College from 1976 through 1978 before transferring to Cornell University. He received his B.S. degree from Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.[3][4][5]

After law school, he clerked for Judge Joseph L. Tauro of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He became a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, focusing on labor and employment law.[6][7]

Major League Baseball

In 1987, Manfred began working with Major League Baseball (MLB) during collective bargaining.[7] During the 1994–95 MLB strike, he served as outside counsel for the owners.[6] He joined MLB on a full-time basis in 1998, serving as the Executive Vice President of Economics and League Affairs.[4] Manfred negotiated MLB's first drug testing agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in 2002, and represented MLB in negotiations with the MLBPA when forming new collective bargaining agreements in 2002, 2006 and 2011.[8] In 2013, Manfred led MLB's investigation of the Biogenesis scandal.[9]

Manfred at the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

At the end of the 2013 season, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig promoted Manfred to chief operating officer of MLB.[4] The position had been vacant since Bob DuPuy resigned in 2010.[10] Following the announcement of Selig's retirement, effective after the 2014 season, Manfred became a finalist to succeed him as Commissioner.[11][12]

On August 14, 2014, MLB owners elected Manfred to succeed Selig, beating Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and MLB executive vice president of business Tim Brosnan.[7] Manfred assumed office on January 25, 2015.[13] He stated that his primary goals as commissioner were youth outreach, embracing technology, quickening the pace of play, strengthening player relations, and creating a more unified business operation.[14]

As commissioner, Manfred instituted rules before the start of the 2015 season to address the pace of play, including having batters remain in the batter's box and the installation of time clocks to limit the time spent around commercial breaks.[15] Before the 2018 season, Manfred introduced more rule changes to affect the pace of play, including reducing the time in commercial breaks and limiting player visits to the pitcher's mound.[16] He has also advocated for expansion franchises, listing Portland, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Nashville, Montreal, and Vancouver as possible locations for new teams.[17]

On November 15, 2018, the owners extended Manfred's contract through the 2024 season.[18]

Personal life

Growing up in Upstate New York, Manfred was a fan of the New York Yankees.[19] His father led the Rome, New York, division of Revere Copper and Brass, while his mother was a schoolteacher.[8][20] He has an older sister and a younger brother.[20]

Manfred and his wife, Colleen, have four children; Megan, Michael, Jane and Mary Clare.[4] Megan married Timothy Petrella of Minnetonka, Minnesota, son of the president of UnitedHealthcare Community and State, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sleepy Hollow, New York.[21] and Michael married Ashley Allen at Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Tarrytown, New York.[22]

Manfred serves as a Board member at Catholic School of Holy Child in Rye, New York.[23][24]

References
  1. Blum, Ronald (January 27, 2015). "Manfred's To-Do List Long". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, Illinois. Retrieved March 18, 2015 – via Questia Online Library.
  2. "RFA Class Of 1976 Graduate Rob Manfred Voted Next Commissioner Of Baseball". Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  3. "Baseball's new commissioner Rob Manfred, a Le Moyne Dolphin, has some serious challenges". syracuse.com. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  4. "Commissioner Selig names Rob Manfred as the Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball" (Press release). Major League Baseball. September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  5. Phil Rogers (December 26, 2009). "Meet new boss -- not same as old boss". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  6. "BASEBALL; Baseball Talks May Resume". New York Times. July 9, 1995. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  7. "Rob Manfred voted MLB commissioner". ESPN. August 14, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  8. "Rob Manfred, MLB's new commissioner, built resume through successes on labor and anti-doping front". NY Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  9. Matthews, Wallace. "Baseball COO Rob Manfred to be witness". ESPN. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  10. Shaikin, Bill (September 30, 2013). "Rob Manfred named COO of Major League Baseball". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  11. Zinser, Lynn (August 15, 2014). "A Look at the Three Who Would Be MLB Commissioner". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  12. "Who is Rob Manfred? Man who should be next MLB commissioner". Sporting News. August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  13. "Bud Selig named Commissioner Emeritus, to make $6M pension". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. Crasnick, Jerry (January 25, 2015). "Rob Manfred's top five priorities". ESPN. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  15. "Rob Manfred thinks inside the box to speed up MLB games". KSDK. February 20, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  16. "MLB: No pitch clock in 2018, but mound visits, warm-up times limited". Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  17. "Commissioner Rob Manfred Listed Las Vegas and Portland Among Six Potential Expansion Locations". Sports Illustrated. July 19, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  18. "Baseball owners extend Rob Manfred's contract". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  19. Steve Ruark/AP. "An exclusive Q&A with new commissioner Rob Manfred on baseball's challenges — MLB — SI.com". SI.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  20. "Behind the scenes: Rob Manfred". ESPN. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  21. "Megan Manfred, Timothy Petrella — Weddings — New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  22. "Ashley Allen, Michael Manfred". New York Times. June 16, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  23. "Rob Manfred | MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference". Sloansportsconference.com. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  24. "School of the Holy Child: Board of Trustees". Holychildrye.org. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
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