Brewers To Build A Giant Bud Selig Statue

Allan Huber "Bud" Selig will be honored by the team he formerly owned on August 24th when the Brewers will unveil a Bud Selig statue...

Selig's likeness will join those of Hank Aaron and Robin Yount in front of Miller Park. Selig's foundation donated the first two statues at the stadium.

Selig's statue will be cast in bronze and measure more than seven feet tall.

Over 7 feet tall, huh? That's nearly 3 times the size of the actual Bud Selig. Selig did bring baseball back to Milwaukee after the Braves split for the greener pastures of Atlanta. Selig bought the financially dead-in-the-water Seattle Pilots in 1970, moved them to Milwaukee and renamed them the Brewers. Selig owned and operated the Brewers until he became Commissioner in 1992. He transferred ownership to his daughter to remove any conflict of interest. *wink, wink* The team would eventually be sold to Mark Attanasio.

Aside from a little ownership collusion in the mid 80's, Selig might be worthy of a statue for bringing baseball back to Milwaukee. I certainly wouldn't let him hang out with the statues of Hank Aaron and Robin Yount but I don't consume 4 pounds of sausage and a gallon of beer on a Tuesday afternoon either. Usually.

His seemingly endless tenure as the Commish is a different story altogether. Selig gave us the Wild Card which I personally enjoy and made a ton of cash for the owners. But he also cost us the 1994 World Series, made the All Star Game decide World Series home field advantage because of one tied ASG and turned a blind eye of steroids for far too long. But hey, anybody could have a tough 18-year stretch. They just don't usually get paid $10+ million a year for it.

AL Also Favored in HR Derby

Derwood is headed to Anaheim with his Jorge Posada batting practice shirt and 17 pens. Stay with Offbase over the next three days for All-Star coverage from a career .180 hitter.


* UPDATE - 8:57 p.m., EST *
Bud Selig just announced the winning league at the hr derby secures home field advantage at next year's All Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game.


"Next time, for Matthew Modine, it counts"


I haven't done any research, but I'm assuming Chris Berman will once again be involved in the home run derby. Normally this would be the spot where I apologize to the Offbase readers because you'll have to hear Berman on your television, where as I get to be there live and avoid that jerk. But I'm pretty sir his voice is amplified on the PA system during the derby, so everybody loses.

Anyway, in preparation for our live coverage of the all star festivities, I took a quick glance at the home run derby rosters.

AL: Nick Swisher, David Ortiz, Vernon Wells, Miguel Cabrera

Favorite: Cabrera. Have you seen this youngster lately? Over the last few years he's added a Juan Pierre of muscle and this is a perfect event for a hulking man with a head that seems to grow by the second (see: Sosa, Sammy).

Sleepers: Wells. I know, the smart bananas would be on Ortiz because no one has a bigger head than Big Poopy, but I like Wells. For a right-handed hitter, those giant Flinstones rocks in left-center are quite inviting/dumb.

Sentimental favorite: Swisher. Quite a run for Swish the last two years. He went from playing smart ball for an idiot and having to see Ken Harrelson's face 162 times a year to being the starting right fielder for the Yankees, her, and now he's in his first all-star game and participating in the HR derby.

NL: Hanley Ramirez, Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Chris Young

Favorite: Hart. Probably the best pure power hitter of the quartet, but if anyone in my section at Angels Stadium knows who this guy is, I'll eat my Mark Langston bobblehead doll.

Sleeper: Holliday. He did well in the '07 derby in San Fransisco and you know what they say about guys participating in two home run derbys on the same coast, three years apart: each time, the winner of the next day's all star game SECURES HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE FOR THEIR LEAGUE IN THE WORLD SERIES. That may not be the last time I mention home field advantage over the next three days.


PICK: Cabrera over Hart in final

The Mini Protest At The MLB HQ

I got tipped off this morning about an immigration group protest outside of the MLB Headquarters in New York that was scheduled for around lunchtime. As you (should) know, Arizona passed a highly controversial immigration law that will kick in later this month. I try not to comment on politics or religion because I'm trying to offend fewer people in my old age. Plus I don't believe in them. But when you start messing with Major League Baseball, you've drawn my ire.

Apparently, a memo circulated around the vicinity of the MLB Headquarters warning others of the protest. Why the MLB? Next year's All Star Game will take place in the Arizona Diamondacks' home field and people want the game moved out of Arizona. How will that help? I don't know but let's go to their flyer...

What: RALLY to move the 2011 MLB All-Star Game out of Arizona and protest Arizona's anti-immigrant laws

Date: Thursday July 8, 2010

Time: 12NOON (please arrive at 11:45am!)

Where: 245 Park Ave (MLB Headquarters)

Why: NO to Arizona's SB1070! Moving the 2011 All-Star game from Phoenix, AZ will send the message that baseball, the quintessential American sport, will not accept the un-American treatment of its players or its fans.

Yeah, good luck with that. The only thing that makes Bud Selig even think about changing his mind is a tied All Star Game or an umpire ruining a perfect game. But sure, punishing baseball fans in Arizona and the pocket books of the Diamondbacks would certainly... Wait, what? I don't exactly see how moving the All Star Game is going to persuade Arizona to revoke that law. It's not like Josh Byrnes and A.J. Hinch voted this law through. Or was that why they were fired?

Either way, the protest didn't quite live up to its 300+ people showing that the memo warned. My source said it was 75 to 100 tops. I believe it was because the lunch time protest wasn't catered with Yankee Stadium hot dogs.

Illegal is Not Legal? Yes sir, literally.

I'm Rooting For Mark Cuban

The Texas Rangers will go up for auction next week. Unfortunately, I have most of my imaginary $500 million tied up in some overseas investments. So I'm rooting for Mark Cuban to make MLB an offer they can't refuse. Although, I'm sure Bud Selig would still find a way to deny him and that's a pretty popular opinion. In fact, the guidelines for a Cuban rejection are already in place...

Major League Baseball will decide who can participate in the auction based on some strict guidelines - including a $1.5 million deposit and an opening bid of more than $500 million. And the league still can reject the highest bidder and select the runner-up.

And Professor Wayne McDonnell Jr. believes Selig and Co. will keep Cubes (I just assume we're close enough that I can call him that) out no matter what...

MLB wants the Chuck Greenberg-Nolan Ryan group "in the worst possible way'' because Ryan is not only a baseball legend but has been successful with his minor-league franchises, McDonnell said.

"Even if (Dallas Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban wanted to buy the Rangers, Major League Baseball would reject him because of who he is, even though he is brilliant and talented,'' McDonnell said. "MLB doesn't want someone who will rock the boat.''

Even though the Rangers share the AL West division with my beloved Halos, I'd love to see Mark Cuban get his hands on a Major League franchise. I think he'd be great for the game. I love the MLB but the boat could use a little rocking and it would be nice to get someone that doesn't mind speaking out against a league into the good ole boys network.

The old guard has to change at some point, right? The drafting process is obviously flawed and the All Star game has become a joke. Yep, I'm looking at you, Omar Infante. It took this half of a season of umpires apologizing for blown calls to get Bud to consider, maybe, sorta looking into expanding instant replay. I'm sure Cuban has some interesting thoughts about the state of the game and I'd like to see an owner rock the boat a little.

But Selig won't stand for it, not on his watch. It was clear last year when Cuban attempted to buy the Cubs that he wasn't welcome into Bud's exclusive ownership club. Just think about all the money you could collect from the fines, Bud. By all accounts, NBA players love playing for Cuban. And even if you disagree with his outbursts, everyone pays attention to them. He's a news maker and a needle mover. How is that bad for the game?

The Bud Selig And Instant Replay Saga

Bud Selig has been battling instant replay for years. It might be what eventually kills him. Unless he is immortal. I have a theory. Anyway, this past week hasn't been an especially good one for Bud when it come to the instant replay in baseball argument. He's still feeling the backlash from Jim Joyce's blown call during Armando Galarraga's non-perfect game. After the game, Baseball Bud said he would look into expanding instant replay in baseball.

Guess what? It ain't happening anytime soon. Baseball won't rush to expand replay past disputable home run calls. Bud Selig, after making an ass of himself announcing the first round, had this to say about instant replay...

"It is interesting," Selig said. "Most baseball people are really against instant replay. There's no question about that. I could sense that the last three days [in talking to people].

"In the end, good or bad, I will do what I think is right. I'm going to take the responsibility for it. I've been at this the last 45 years of my life, and the last 18 [as commissioner], so I'll trust my own judgment."

Selig is going to do what he thinks is right. But in the meantime, he wants to hear what everybody else thinks. Most baseball people that have a voice though TV or print seem to be in favor of some type of expanded replay. Just not the people Bud has been talking to. Who are these people? Selig has a 14-member special committee. I'm convinced it's made up of various members of the Legion of Doom and any living members of the Warren Commission.

Selig also chimed in with this little nugget...

"I can remember as a kid in the 50s, listening to complaints about umpiring: 'God, it's awful. It's terrible. What are they gonna do?' " Selig said. "Here we are 60 years later and we seem to be doing OK."

Aren't we talking about all of this because it isn't OK? Am I missing something here? And how old are you, Bud?