Rob Manfred cements places as worst commish in MLB history

In theory, the commissioner of Major League Baseball is in charge of the stewardship of the game. They are a bridge between the owners and players, working with both sides to ensure that MLB continues to move forward and to grow the game. But Rob Manfred has done the exact opposite.

He was set up for success. The league had enjoyed its longest stretch of labor peace in history, and had become the model for labor relations in American professional sports. For as much as fans may have questioned his predecessor, Bud Selig, there is no doubt that he left the game in a better place than it was in when he took over.

Rob Manfred worst MLB commissioner in history

However, over the past two years, Manfred has destroyed all of that progress. He held sham negotiations with the Player’s Union over the 2020 season before unilaterally declaring a 60 game pandemic shortened season. To make matters worse, he also instituted several unpopular rules that no one wanted.

The players certainly did not forget that. It may well have hardened their resolve when it came to discussing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, making the players even more united in their quest to get a better deal than before.

But somehow, the league did not realize this. They were not overly interested in negotiating a new CBA as the previous one expired, leading to even more frustration. Then the league imposed a lockout, something that was entirely unnecessary, and refused to even begin negotiations for six weeks. When they did, their first response was to ask for federal mediation to resolve the issues.

Now the first two series of the season have been canceled. Those games will not be made up, causing several issues if the 2022 season takes place at all. Some teams will play 155 games as the schedule is currently constituted, with others playing up to 157 games. Several teams, such as the A’s, will lose two series at home, impacting their revenue stream, even if it is only to a small degree. Depending on the quality of the teams that were being faced, those missed games could factor into the playoff hunt.

It is a shortsighted and unnecessary move that could have easily been avoided. MLB owners could open the gates tomorrow and end this lockout, playing under the old CBA until a new deal is reached, something the players have said they would be willing to do. Instead, ownership and the league are more focused on breaking the union.

This should not be a surprise. Rob Manfred has been a master of shortsightedness over the past few years, from his decision to chop 42 minor league teams to calling the World Series trophy “a chunk of metal” in the wake of the Astros cheating scandal. He refuses to market the players, saying they should do so themselves. It is no wonder that players and fans open question if he even likes baseball in the first place.

There is also one other thing that Manfred has done. He has unified the players in their outright hatred of him, a bond that shows no signs of breaking in the near future. The players are standing as one, refusing to back down as the league attempted to slip provisions into the CBA offers at the last minute, ruining any possible momentum.

This should be Manfred’s legacy. He has ruined the labor peace that the game enjoyed. He has made the game less accessible for fans by cutting those minor league teams. And he has galvanized the players to continue to stand up for their platform. His laughing on the way to the podium as he announced the cancelation of those games was a horrendous look and one that just served to reinforce all of the questions about his competence and love of the game.

There have been plenty of terrible people in charge of the game. Rob Manfred is on his way to being the worst MLB commissioner of all time.