Rob Manfred named as the 10th MLB Commissioner

Rob Manfred, the Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball, was officially named as the 10th commissioner of Major League Baseball on Thursday.

Manfred replaces Allan H. (Bud) Selig, who has spent 22 years as the MLB Commissioner.

Manfred was chosen in a unanimous over Tom Werner, the longtime television executive and chairman of the Boston Red Sox. Manfred was promoted to COO in September 2013 according to MLB.com.

"When Manfred, 55, was promoted to COO on Sept. 28, 2013, it put him directly in line to follow Selig. Since then he has overseen all traditional functions of the Commissioner’s Office, including labor relations, baseball operations, finance, administration and club governance. But a seven-man search committee, headed by Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., eventually presented a slate of three candidates to the Executive Committee: Manfred, MLB’s executive vice president of business Tim Brosnan and Red Sox chairman Tom Werner."

St. Louis Cardinals Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Bill DeWitt, Jr. played a large part in bringing his fellow baseball owners together after heading up the search committe. DeWitt released a statement following the early Thursday evening announcement:

“The Succession Committee was tasked with finding a dynamic leader capable of sustaining the remarkable prosperity achieved under Commissioner Selig. Equally important, we sought an executive who will ensure that our game takes important strides forward in the future. In Rob Manfred, we have found that leader.

“Without fanfare or glory, Rob has assembled a long and proven record of helping the game excel in fundamental ways. He combines great intellect and forward-thinking creativity with unwavering respect for the contributions of the game’s many constituents. The owners wholeheartedly support Rob’s vision for the future of the National Pastime, and we are proud that he will succeed Commissioner Selig in January.”