Timeline for Major League Baseball commission Bud Selig
(Reuters) - Timeline of events in the career of Allan "Bud" Selig who will step down as commissioner of Major League Baseball in January after the election on Thursday of Rob Manfred as his successor. July 30, 1934: Allan "Bud" Selig is born in Milwaukee. Earns a bachelor’s degree in American History and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1956. April 1, 1970: Seattle bankruptcy court awards the Seattle Pilots franchise to Selig and his investors. October 1982: The American League Champion Brewers appeared in the 1982 World Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Sept. 9, 1992: Takes over as chairman of the MLB executive council 1994: Oversees realignment into three divisions for each league. One wild card team from each league is added to the playoffs format. Sept. 14, 1994: With players on strike cancels the World Series. April 2, 1995: Strike ends, ushering in new era of labor peace June 12, 1997: Interleague play introduced 1998: Arizona and Tampa Bay begin play as the 29th and 30th MLB teams July 9, 1998: Elected the ninth commissioner by a unanimous vote of the 30 Major League Baseball club owners. July 9, 2002: All-Star game ends in 7-7 tie after teams run out of pitchers. Result prompts change in format with winning league earning home-field advantage in the World Series. Aug. 31, 2002: Players union agrees to limited drug testing for steroids. Nov. 15, 2005: Beefed up drug-testing and penalties introduced. 2006: First World Baseball Classic. 2008: Limited instant replay introduced for disputed home run calls. Dec. 13, 2007: Mitchell report released detailing widespread drug use within baseball. Nov. 17, 2011: Second wild card team in each league added to playoff format. Oct. 2, 2012: MLB announces television rights deals worth $12.4 billion a year through 2021. Aug. 15, 2013: Some of baseball's biggest names, including the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and National League most valuable player Ryan Braun, are suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs following a Major League Baseball investigation in the Biogenesis clinic in Miami. Aug. 14, 2014: Rob Manfred elected by baseball owners as successor to Selig as commissioner of Major League Baseball (Compiled by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Gene Cherry)
