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Bud Selig planned to say no. He wanted to say no. He intended to say no.
But, in the end, Selig had to say yes. Again.
As expected, Selig accepted the offer from major-league baseball owners Thursday to have his contract as commissioner extended another two years through 2014. His previous three-year extension was set to expire at the end of this year.
Asked about his repeated comments that he was definitely done after this year, Selig insisted that was his true desire.
"I really meant what I said," Selig said in a telephone conversation after the announcement of his latest extension at ownership meetings in Phoenix.
"This was it for me. But this was such a groundswell that I guess was going on for some time. (The owners) were so intense and aggressive. The sincerity and loyalty came from everywhere. How could I say no?"
Selig said it was about a week ago, while sitting in his study at his home in Bayside, that he finally came around to the idea of staying on two more years in the job he first held on an interim basis in 1992. Yet another owner had just made a telephone plea for him to stay for a couple of more years, and with wife Sue's backing he decided to do it.
"Sue told me, 'I knew you were going to do it,' " recalled Selig. "She's OK with it. That makes a big difference. When I thought about it, I was so honored and humbled that my peers felt that strongly about it."
With major-league baseball in an extended era of prosperity and labor peace, owners simply weren't ready for a change at the top. No search committee was formed to find a successor. Instead, one by one, owners prodded Selig to stay.
"I am very pleased that Commissioner Selig remained open to the wishes of the clubs and has agreed to continue in a role in which he excels," said Paul Beeston, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays.
"The great prosperity of the game today is a reflection of Bud's record of accomplishment. He is uniquely suited to handle the demands of his position and serve as the leader of Major League Baseball."
At the end of the newest extension, Selig will be 80 and will have served 22 years as commissioner. Only the first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, had a longer stint, serving 24 years before dying in 1944.
Why won't owners allow Selig to leave? For one thing, the industry has surpassed $7 billion in revenue the last two seasons. When Selig took over in 1992, yearly revenue was $1.2 billion.
Selig also has shepherded the game through a period of unparalleled labor peace. The five-year labor deal completed in December will give MLB 21 years without a work stoppage, something unfathomable when Selig first took office.
Selig's commitment to increased revenue sharing among clubs also has led to more competitive balance, as evidenced by nine different World Series champions over the last 11 years. And, after the so-called steroid era threatened to ruin the game, he championed the most comprehensive drug-testing program among the major sports.
He also has been the most effective commissioner in pushing through innovations such as interleague play, expanded playoffs with wild-card berths, attaching home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner of the All-Star Game and the World Baseball Classic.
"It has been remarkable, I must say," Selig said. "This has been an extraordinary time for major-league baseball. The focus is on the field, competitive balance is strong and fans around the world are supporting our game in unprecedented fashion. I told the owners that I didn't do it. We did it together."
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