Rob Manfred facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rob Manfred
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Manfred in July 2014
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| 10th Commissioner of Baseball | |
| Assumed office January 25, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Bud Selig |
| Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball | |
| In office September 28, 2013 – January 25, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Bob DuPuy |
| Succeeded by | Tony Petitti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 28, 1958 Rome, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Colleen Manfred |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Rome Free Academy Le Moyne College Cornell University (BS) Harvard University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Robert Dean Manfred Jr. (born September 28, 1958) is an American lawyer and business leader. He is currently the tenth commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB). This means he is the main leader for all of professional baseball in the United States and Canada. Before this, he was MLB's chief operating officer. Rob Manfred took over as commissioner from Bud Selig on January 25, 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Rob Manfred was born on September 28, 1958, in Rome, New York. When he was young, he enjoyed playing tennis, golf, and baseball. By eighth grade, he decided to focus on tennis, which he played all through college. He went to Rome Free Academy and finished in 1976.
Manfred attended Le Moyne College from 1976 to 1978. Then, he moved to Cornell University. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell in 1980. Later, he got his law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Harvard Law School in 1983. While at Harvard, he was an editor for the Harvard Law Review, a special legal magazine.
After law school, Manfred worked for a judge named Joseph L. Tauro from 1983 to 1984. He then joined a law firm called Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. There, he worked on cases related to labor law and employment law.
Leading Major League Baseball
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In 1987, Rob Manfred started working with Major League Baseball (MLB). He helped with important talks between team owners and players. During the 1994–95 MLB strike, he advised the team owners.
Manfred joined MLB full-time in 1998. He became the Executive Vice President of Economics and League Affairs. In 2002, he helped create MLB's first agreement for drug testing players. He also represented MLB in talks for new agreements with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in 2002, 2006, and 2011. In 2013, Manfred led MLB's investigation into the Biogenesis baseball scandal, which involved players using banned substances.
At the end of the 2013 season, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig promoted Manfred. He became the chief operating officer of MLB. This job had been empty since 2010. After Selig announced he would retire, Manfred became a top choice to be the next Commissioner.
On August 14, 2014, MLB team owners chose Manfred to take over from Selig. He officially became Commissioner on January 25, 2015. Manfred said his main goals were to get more young people interested in baseball. He also wanted to use new technology, make games faster, and improve relationships with players.
As commissioner, Manfred made new rules to speed up games starting in 2015. Batters had to stay in the batter's box, and clocks were used to limit time between plays. For the 2017 season, teams could choose to intentionally walk a batter without throwing pitches. The first Little League Classic game was also played in August 2017, which many people liked. Before the 2018 season, more rules were added to speed up games. These included shorter breaks and fewer player visits to the pitcher's mound. He has also suggested adding new teams in cities like Portland, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Nashville, Montreal, and Vancouver.
On November 15, 2018, the team owners extended Manfred's contract until the 2024 season. On July 26, 2023, his contract was extended again through the 2028 season. In February 2024, Manfred said he plans to step down when his contract ends in January 2029.
COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact
On March 12, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. Major League Baseball quickly canceled spring training. They also delayed the start of the 2020 season by at least two weeks. A few days later, the season was put on hold indefinitely. This was because the CDC advised against large gatherings.
On May 26, Manfred made the first plan for the 2020 season. It included reducing the highest player salaries. The Players Association immediately said no to this plan. Later, the MLBPA voted to reject a 60-game season proposal from Manfred and the owners. They also rejected a third plan for a 72-game season. Manfred and the owners also turned down the players' idea for a 70-game season.
On June 22, Manfred decided on a 60-game regular season. All team owners approved this. The season included a larger postseason with sixteen teams. It also brought in a universal designated hitter rule. And in extra innings, a runner would start on second base.
2021 All-Star Game Change
On April 2, 2021, Manfred announced a big change. The 2021 All-Star Game would be moved from Atlanta. This was a protest against a new voting law passed in Georgia. President Joe Biden and the MLBPA supported this move. The MLBPA said the law made it harder for the Black community to vote.
However, some people in Georgia disagreed with the decision. Republican officials like Governor Brian Kemp opposed it. Some Georgia Democrats, like Stacey Abrams, also did not support the move. The Atlanta Braves team was "deeply disappointed." They said that businesses, employees, and fans in Georgia were hurt by this choice. On April 5, Manfred announced that Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, would host the All-Star Game instead.
2021–22 Baseball Lockout
In December 2021, the league's agreement with players ended. Team owners voted to start a lockout. This meant players could not work, and games were stopped. Manfred announced the lockout in a letter to fans. Many baseball reporters criticized this action.
MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association had many meetings. But they were not making much progress. The league set a deadline of February 28 to reach a new agreement. If not, regular season games would be canceled. Negotiations continued past the deadline into March 1. The league then extended the deadline.
However, the two sides were still far apart on key issues. Just before the new deadline, the league made a final offer. The players' union turned it down. As a result, Manfred announced that the first two series of the season would be canceled. He received some criticism for smiling during this announcement.
Negotiations continued, and Manfred set another deadline for March 8. This deadline was also extended. The league and players still could not agree. This was because the owners added a new idea about an international player draft at the last minute. So, Manfred canceled two more series. This pushed the 2022 season's opening day to April 14.
On March 10, Manfred said a full 162-game season was still possible if a deal was made soon. That evening, the players' union accepted an MLB proposal. This deal allowed them to discuss the international draft idea later. The owners voted to approve the agreement, ending the lockout. Manfred announced that opening day would be April 7. The canceled games would be played later so a full season could happen. He also said he wanted to improve his relationship with the players.
2023 World Baseball Classic
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Rob Manfred has always supported the World Baseball Classic. This tournament brings together baseball teams from different countries. The 2017 tournament was very popular. After a six-year break, many MLB superstars joined their national teams for the 2023 tournament. Players like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts played for Team USA.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic was shown in many countries. It was very popular in the United States. The final game between Japan and Team USA was watched by millions of Americans. About 6.5 million people watched as Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to win the title for Japan.
The game between Japan and Korea had nearly 63 million viewers. This made it one of the most-watched baseball games ever. In Japan, 100 million people watched the tournament. Over 55 million people in Japan watched the final game. The tournament was also broadcast on major websites in China.
Oakland Athletics Move to Las Vegas
On April 19, 2023, the Oakland Athletics baseball team announced a plan. They would buy land in Las Vegas, Nevada for a new ballpark. This meant the team planned to move from Oakland, California. The Athletics had been in Oakland for 57 seasons and won four World Series championships there.
This proposed move would mean Oakland would lose its last major professional sports team. The city had already lost the NBA's Golden State Warriors in 2019. And the NFL's Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020. Many people felt this move would be very bad for the Oakland community.
In 2016, Manfred had said he wanted Oakland to remain a major league city. He said leaving Oakland might be a mistake in the future. However, in May 2021, Manfred's office allowed the Athletics to look into moving. This was because progress on a new ballpark in Oakland was slow.
In October 2022, Manfred announced that the league would not charge the Athletics a relocation fee if they moved to Las Vegas. This decision caused some frustration among other MLB owners.
In June 2023, Oakland fans held a "Reverse Boycott Game." This game had the highest attendance for the A's that season. Manfred commented on this, saying it was "almost an average Major League Baseball crowd for one night." He also said that Oakland had "no plan to build a stadium." However, Oakland city officials quickly showed their plans for a new ballpark. They had been working on this project with the A's since 2018.
Personal Life
Rob Manfred grew up in Central New York. He is a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team. His father, Rob Sr., worked for a company called Revere Copper and Brass. His mother, Phyllis, was a school teacher. He has an older sister and a younger brother.
Manfred is married to Colleen. They have four children: Megan, Michael, Jane, and Mary Clare. Megan married Timothy Petrella in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
See also
In Spanish: Rob Manfred para niños
