New York, NY – In preparation for his recently announced retirement plans in January 2015, commissioner Bud Selig has named Robert D. Manfred, Jr. chief operating officer of Major League Baseball.
Selig will continue to lead the industry and will focus on significant baseball policy matters. Manfred, who has worked for MLB since 1998, will now oversee day-to-day management of the commissioner's office in New York.
"The reorganization of our management team will facilitate an orderly transition and will position Major League Baseball's operations for sustained prosperity well into the future," Selig said in a statement Monday. "I have the utmost confidence in Rob to excel at his expanded duties and to help the industry maintain its extraordinary growth and vitality.
"Rob has tremendous institutional knowledge and first-hand experience with many of our most complex matters, including labor, revenue sharing, competitive balance and the most comprehensive drug program in American professional sports. I am pleased that I will work with him even more closely in the near future."
Manfred most recently was responsible for major economic matters such as revenue sharing and the debt service rule while serving as executive vice president for economics and league affairs.
From 1998-2012, he was MLB's executive vice president for labor relations and human resources.
"I thank commissioner Selig for placing his faith in me," Manfred said in a statement Monday. "The opportunity to serve the clubs in this new position is a distinct honor. I have taken great pride in working closely with the commissioner and supporting the many outstanding initiatives implemented during his tenure. All of us at Major League Baseball look forward to assisting commissioner Selig during his transition process in preparation for his retirement."
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