<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>SAN FRANCISCO -- Commissioner Bud Selig is familiar with the concept of the media hammering incessantly on a theme. In recent years, he's encountered the routine with questions about Pete Rose's reinstatement bid, All-Star Game ties and the use of performance enhancing drugs in the game. The obsession du jour seems relatively trivial in comparison: Everybody's just dying for a glimpse of the commissioner's travel itinerary. Selig engaged in the standard give-and-take during a Tuesday media luncheon at the All-Star Game, and he was peppered with questions about whether he plans to be in attendance when San Francisco outfielder Barry Bonds hits his 756th home run to pass Hank Aaron on the all-time list. Selig responded with a skillful array of no comments and variations on the theme, "Will you please stop asking me about this?""I understand that I am the commissioner of baseball, and this is the most hallowed record in American sports," Selig said. "I understand [the writers]have a job to do, and I'd be asking the same questions if I were you. But it's something I'm going to handle my own way. I'll do what I believe is in the best interests of baseball." Bonds, who currently has 751 homers, is pursuing Aaron under a cloud of alleged steroid use, and Selig's presence or absence could help validate or minimize the accomplishment in the public eye. Aaron has already indicated that he has no plans to be in the crowd for No. 756, regardless of where and when it occurs. The focus on Selig's travel plans is, in some ways, a sign that things are going well for Major League Baseball this season. Selig said Tuesday that 2007 attendance has already surpassed 46 million, which puts baseball in line to set another record. Amid rampant criticism of baseball's drug testing program, Selig reiterated his claim that MLB has the toughest policy in all of sports and has made significant progress against performance enhancers. On June 18, he met with medical advisers, 16 team doctors and several club trainers for an update on efforts to combat human growth hormone, amphetamines and other substances. "They feel we've really achieved a lot, and they were quite insulted by people who they believe aren't well-informed and think otherwise," Selig said. Selig, who attended the dedication of two local baseball fields with Hall of Famer Willie Mays early Tuesday, addressed several other topics during his media session: ? He said doesn't anticipate any problems with the Giants trying to manipulate the schedule so that Bonds can hit Nos. 755 and 756 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In 1974, commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and ordered the Atlanta Braves to play Aaron in Cincinnati while citing the integrity of the game. "I've been reading a book on Einstein, and this isn't the theory of relativity," Selig said. "There are pennant races going on, and I would hope that will be the overriding determining factor. If you want to win every game, you play your best team." ? The commissioner is unenthused about agent Scott Boras' proposal to make the World Series a best-of-nine proposition, with the first two games at a neutral site. Boras made his suggestions in a letter to Selig in April that became public two weeks ago. "He's entitled to his opinion," Selig said. "My view is, teams play for decades to get to a World Series, and now you're going to open 1,500 miles from home? As for a nine-game World Series I'll leave it to my friend, Derek Jeter, who says, "It's long enough now.'" ? Selig said baseball might re-evaluate the manner in which All-Star rosters are announced after some glitches arose in the system. An Atlanta-Florida game before the TBS announcement show dragged on longer than expected because of a rain delay and extra innings. "This was the first year of that and it was a tough situation," Selig said. "It's Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will. Well, it went wrong." ? Selig said he remains "reasonably confident" that a stadium deal for the Florida Marlins can be brokered despite a series of setbacks. "It's, frankly, very discouraging at the moment. The commissioner is very upset about it. No one's very happy," Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said according to The Associated Press. "We thought the stars were aligned. We thought that everything was in place to get that final piece. We were very disappointed when the legislature adjourned without passing [it]." Selig added that he hopes the sale of the Chicago Cubs by the Tribune Company can move along with "dispatch." "I think it's important for the future of the Chicago Cubs franchise to get it done, get it over with and move on," Selig said.</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2931875
Selig is a dick:<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>? Selig said baseball might re-evaluate the manner in which All-Star rosters are announced after some glitches arose in the system.An Atlanta-Florida game before the TBS announcement show dragged on longer than expected because of a rain delay and extra innings.</div>B/c of this, ESPN accidentally announced the rosters b4 the selection show. MLB reacted to this by banning ESPN from having their set inside the park. Great idea. Is it reallt that big of a deal<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>? He said doesn't anticipate any problems with the Giants trying to manipulate the schedule so that Bonds can hit Nos. 755 and 756 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In 1974, commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and ordered the Atlanta Braves to play Aaron in Cincinnati while citing the integrity of the game.</div>He can't order the G-Men to play steroids boy, citing "integrity of the game." Does a team out of the playoff race in September playing unproductive veterans count as "maintaining the integrity of the playoff races" as the dust bag said in 2005? If they want him to get 755 and 756 at home, they can do whatever they want. IIRC, the Astros were going to bench Biggio once he was at 2,999 hits until they returned to Houston, so he could get it at home. Did MLB step in then? Also, we know Selig won't be attending when Bonds does it, just say it already.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Selig added that he hopes the sale of the Chicago Cubs by the Tribune Company can move along with "dispatch.""I think it's important for the future of the Chicago Cubs franchise to get it done, get it over with and move on," Selig said.</div>Yeah right. He doesn't care at all. He and Jerry Riensdorf are butt buddies, and he's got butt buddies who own the Brewers. Because his butt buddy Reinsdorf can, he is going to block Mark Cuban from buying the team. Reinsdorf is just abusing his power. He knows deep down inside, Cuban will be looking to build an empire, and is going to turn the team into a title contender, while Reinsdorf sticks to his stupid principles and runs the team into the ground. He doesn't want to look bad. He's only doing this because he can. Besides, you got to have connections to become an MLB owner. You either got to be butt buddies with Selig, or you got to be tight with his butt buddies. I remember back in 2002-03 when the Red Sox, Marlins, and Expos were sold, there was an under the table deal, something about the group that submitted the 3rd highest bid winning b/c they had connections to Selig. Selig doesn't care, he just wants to be sure that the new Cubs owner doesn't challenge Reinsdorf's White Sox or Selig's beloved Brewers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Capt. Comeback @ Jul 12 2007, 02:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The thing about Bonds and comparing to Biggio...A hit is a hell of a lot easier to get than a HR.</div>Where is there anything on Biggio in there? And if THG plays next year, he will get his 3,000th hit. It's just about 1/4 of them will be bombs
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DevinHester23 @ Jul 11 2007, 11:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>the Astros were going to bench Biggio once he was at 2,999 hits until they returned to Houston, so he could get it at home.</div>
