Seelig. [applause] hello everybody well, everybody sit down, i am so happy to be here the commissioner, bud seelig. I now realize we met a quarter of a century ago. I came to milwaukee and bud had read no ordinary time about franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and he wanted to meet with me to it talk about history. I wanted to meet him to talk about baseball. So always theres been that push and pull, whats happening in baseball . Whats happening in the country . We had this great relationship. Weve been the hall of fame game together b went to japan together for the opening day. The opening day of the red sox it was a crazy trip to japan. And all this time bud would tell me these amazing stories. And so i was so glad when he decided to write this book which is a collection of the best stories because he is a great storyteller. So i am so happy to be able to ask him questions that will illuminate. We will get to thats on everybodys mind which is the Houston Astros disaster, in terms of what that means for baseball. This guy is always authentic and multi with happening. But first i would like to start with the friendship that you have formed with hank aron. Because i know we talked a little bit about it and what it was like it when barry bonds was chasing his record and what it was like for you who is so essential in the sport and all that that meant to you because he was the best. Thank you and its a pleasure to be here today into something to add with door said something we met and years after words and to this day, when we get together she wants to talk about baseball and i want to talk about history. Is a perfect marriage to be thats exactly right. So i met henry aron long before i was in baseball and long before he became the home run champion. Hes got a Green Bay Packers games together and it began in 1957 before i met him, he hits a homerun to win the pennant for the milwaukee braves. And doris, he was carried off the field, it was the moment that i will never forget and all the things that happen to me, the next day in the new york times, pictures hank aaron being carried off the field in this gigantic celebration by his mainly white teammates. In orval faubus bring a picture next to it who were trying to go to school in little rock arkansas. And the picture made an indelible impression on me. It influenced my thinking. I would tell you that Rachel Robinson, Jacqui Robinsons widow who was a magnificent woman, once asked me where that all started. I said when i looked at that picture i realized how baseball could play a role, sociologically, and it did. And so i guess the other story i will tell you about henry, bright during the steroid situation, i asked six hollow flame players to come to washington and they did. To appear before john mccains committee it went extremely well. And hank was of course the leadoff speaker and the star of the group. But we had a dinner the night before and the night before after eating too much, he said lets walk back. And we walked back together just the two of us. And he said to me at one point, you have to understand, for a guy who broke babe ruths record he is so modest, he said to me, i will never forget. We were standing under streetlamp and he said who would have ever believed when we were just kids growing up and met each other, that someday its only time i ever heard him say this, babe ruths record and you would become the commissioner baseball . And we just looked at each other and kept walking. Who can believe that. [applause] tell me about friends ricky in his role in changing the countr country. At led to the most to the most important moment in baseball history certainly the most powerful. The clubs had just voted 15 to one with the commissioner who had said that as long as there is a commissioner of baseball thered never be a colorful player. Mercifully he died. [laughter] so ricky it was incredible when you think of it, signed Jacqui Robinson to a montreal contract. And i wont with you all of the stuff but that itself was amazing then on april 15, 1947 in evansville brooklyn, you would know that better than i would, jacqui was Rachel Robinson calls him Jack Roosevelt robinson, and it was just standing, member the clubs had voted 15 to one not to vote or allow a minority player right before that and ricky did it and the whole thing was just starting and when you think of it, think about it this way, you will appreciate this. It was three and a half years before harry truman desegregated the army. His seven years before brown versus board of education and it was 18 years before the civil rights movement. So ricky is a friend of buying and he is also the greatest sports executive of all time and you could put that all in together and it was really a wonderful story. I must say that when i was a little girl is a brooklyn dodger fan Jackie Robinson was my favorite player i would like to think now it was beat because it was what he represented for civil rights. But if im honest it was just because he was so exciting as a player. He get on first base he still second to get on second still third in a completely rattled the picture. So i loved him. I always wanted his autograph and they were always long lines. But in those days you just couldnt wait they didnt charge you for the autographs you just could go. I would go to other lines and never at his. And finally when i was young teenager i went and some of you may remember as teenagers we had these ridiculous autograph books were you say i will love you till niagara falls. Or i will cherish you chill rubber tires, and we would write all the stupid things to each others. So i brought my autograph book and i finally got to the front of the line and i gave it to them. I thought he would just sign and he looked at one of my friends and he started to read these things. I thought oh my god, i thought i was going to faint in embarrassment. Bit incomplete keeping of the senate book he said keep your smile a long, long while, Jackie Robinson. It was the best. [applause] and years later i got to give an award to Rachel Robinson at Eleanor Roosevelts home and i just kept thinking if only my father had been there to see that i was meeting Rachel Robinson, giving her an award on behalf of Eleanor Roosevelt. I told her how it had a crush on her husband in this ridiculous story. She is acute extremely dignified wonderful woman. A wonderful woman and shes told me stories of the pressure on him was a normans. At after he took great abuse in cincinnati and st. Louis, philadelphia, ben chapman who was the manager who mercifully took and then got fired the next year was awful. Ricky did something that you didnt do back in 1948, he said to her he was worried about jack. And she was worried about jack said i want you to go on the road in travel with him the rest of the way home. And somehow they got him through that. And it was really its the more you read of the story, and the more you know about the story, it is really a great story. It didnt solve any or all of our problems, but if you read it, it set some examples for what people should do. Is so important for us today just because these last day and a half we been talking so much about the situation in the country and just now having had a talk about how angry people are on both sides of the political aisle. Those moments have to be remembered because the country can step up, they do step up. If an individual can make a difference when he did, but while we talk about why the great ricky can we talk about the man who broke my hearts, Walter Omalley by abandoning us in moving the dodgers to sandals . Many of you may have been a recipient of that but his little girl was a disaster. You can and walter does not come out well and i look back in that 1957 the giants are going to move and they should move. Then there in polo grounds and whatever few fans they had, that was it. But i say it not because im talking to you but because i believe it. It was a time, it was a move that really i think broke the core of what people thought about sports. And what i mean by that is the dodgers were something special. Not only in brooklyn but everywhere. And therefore, look, did ellie deserve a team assuming of course l. A. Would deserve a team. Should they have a team . Of course they should. But not the brooklyn dodgers. [laughter] you can suggest that as you well know historians have revisited history and they tried to make believe its robert moses is fault. It was not robert moses fault, guess they wanted to build it on flatbush avenue and they didnt and then moses offered them a place where they later built shades stadium. While his people have said, that wasnt perfect for the brooklyn dodgers but is a hell of a lot better than going to los angeles. And so thats not a proud chapter in baseball history. We sent petitions to Walter Omalley and their dreams that i encountered him somehow when i was the hero that persuaded him. That he couldnt leave the brooklyn dodgers and go to los angeles. And theres is horrible thing we used to say to one another which is embarrassing even more as a human being as well as historian. We used to say what if you were in a room with hitler, stalin, and Walter Omalley paid whitfield had two bullets what would you do . [laughter] you dont even want to hear the idiotic thing we said. It was unanimous that the story that here he had two bullets and walter got both of them. [laughter] so lets just talk about the contour of your leadership as commissioner. Because its interesting, we have been talking in these last couple days again politically about the gap between the rich and the poor and the lack of mobility. The fact that some people in the country are not feeling theyre getting the same chances as others in the country. And that was a situation of Major League Baseball when you came in. That the big market teams were winning year after year winning the playoffs when you are in that he woke up in the spring you had very little hope that your team is going to make it. So you introduced a whole series of things to help that situation. Each one must have been tough knowing. It was very tough, baseballs a social institution and i believe that is resistant to change. In so what i did the wildcard oh my goodness, all of the abuse and they go you cant do that. But i knew the one thing we had to get to what was revenuesharing. And you know, doris, i believe that an important part for baseballs hope and faith. So that in as many franchises as is possible, on march this year, march 26, people at least have hope and faith 13 can be competitive. What we had gone to a point in the bed 90s were that wasnt so anymore. And so therefore, revenuesharing was critical. It took a long time, went through a lot of pain, i did a lot of other revenuesharing things like for instance van which was our Internet Company which proved to be an extraordinary success. I wanted every club to own the same amount. I wanted the Kansas City Royals to own as much as the new york yankees. I wanted the Pittsburgh Pirates to own as much as the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because, it was good for the sports, and it provided the hope and faith that you needed. Slowly but surely, as you know and the legislative process, we got things done to a point where we had over 500 million in revenuesharing. A lot of other revenuesharing mechanisms where they are nigh dont mind telling you, that in 2014 and 2015, when we went to the world series in kansas city, missouri. That was a thrill for me. As i walked around kansas city i will never forget people everywhere kept saying thank you, thank you. So again, the keywords the clubs used to here is there were help and faith. And it has worked out well. Weve got work to do yet, but we came along way in a short period of time. You had some statistics about how many more teams got into those final playoffs, right . Lots of them especially the wildcard made a huge difference. From 2001 on everybody got in the playoffs at one point. That made me really happy and did what we wanted to do. And so it worked out, it really worked out well. It is so important because the fact that the matter is, and i used to say that to the big market clubs who balked at a lot of things. I will say this to George Steinbrenners defense. He was difficult, he was unusual, he was all of the above and im being very serious now. But in the end he went along with it. And so as it turned out to the best years baseball ever had from 2005 on to 2015 were really the golden years. Penance up almost 80 billion people the years were we had revenuesharing and we had all these other devices that went in. It was good for the game. Which is the title of the book. What about instant replay . Was that a difficult thing . It was difficult because i really am a tradition is at heart. I want to give credit to tony larusso because tony was working for me at the time. He said to me at one point, weve got to go to instant replay. Isa tony nodded baseball. In football you get instant replay and it takes six minutes for god sakes before they find out whether its good or bad. But he convinced me over and over with the help of joe torre, mikes osha and jimmy leyland, that it was good. And so on the theory that you want to get it right, we had a nohit game in detroit with two outs and we pitched a perfect game in the empire blew a call at first and was a good empire. Ive only said lets do it. And we did it, and it has worked out very well. So now im going to go back to the worst moment of my childhood as a brooklyn dodgers fan because it has to do with stay with the Houston Astros. As you know the new york giants were way way behind the brooklyn dodgers in 1951, i think maybe we were 14 games ahead or something. 14 or 15. There was a butcher shop in my neighborhood who were all near giants fan and they kept a running tally of everything that was going on that summer. It was so exciting, every time i would go there would be on top and the giants to be way down. Then all of a sudden by mid august they started climbing, climbing, climbing and finally caught up to us. There is a three game playoff. And in that last game, Bobby Thompson hit the famous homerun against ralph that is called the shot heard around the world. Its embarrassing we lived in concord for 42 years to be go to the minuteman stature, i all over the country to submit mans thats you and they say the shop its heard around the world i think of Bobby Thompson but as a story and im not supposed to be somethings wrong with that. Anyway, years later josh did a book and wrote a story for the wall street journal in which he discovered the electrician who claimed they had set up some sort of system and the giants park for an centerfield they had a telescope and they were able to signal the pictures to the batters. And i think of what that did to all of us. My sister who is beautiful in 15 years older than he predicted he was going to hit a homerun. I was so mad at her i didnt want to speak to her again. I was sure she made it happen. I wouldnt go back to the butcher shop for days because i was too embarrassed. They finally sent me the first flowers that were ever sent to me. They called me rag mop all the time because my hair was that way they sent the card that said dear rackmount please come back we miss you. This is a huge part of my childhood and i cant imagine what its like for the fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers to know its happening to houston now and the sophisticated system of cheating. What is baseball doing . What can they do . Technology can get better and better how can we prevent that . I think, you are right, sign stealing has been part of the game. But, a different kind of sign stealing, players trying to pick up signals, if i can give you a personal story as a kid i went to Wrigley Field in the early 60s. The milwaukee braves with hank aaron and Eddie Matthews and so on were playing the cubs. And never was much of a contest but i dont want to insult any cub fans here. But the fact of the matter is, sitting in a centerfield bleacher was a pitcher named bob buhl. Bob youll had a raincoat in the codon and he was stealing signals. The cubs finally figured out in the sixth inning and it was a big uproar. But, having said that, this was a most unfortunate incident, no question about it. But i think robert manford, the commissioner dealt with it harshly, after all manager and then lost his job the general manager lost his job they got phot find 5 million which is the maximum you can find. They lost their first and second draft choices which really hurts for two years. So and then to other managers lose her job including the manager of your favorite team. But i think people will understand in the future now, how serious this was an these were serious, serious consequences for the houston club. Yes, technology is getting better, but so are we. And i think you will not see this happen again. I will be very surprised if it does. But, baseball is taking this very seriously. They are using every technological device to know that it doesnt happen again. And if somebody is idiotic enough to do it again, they are going to get penalized as severely as the Houston Astros. Was there an actual rule that was violated . How did it work . In 2017, rob manford sent a memo to all of the clubs. There is no question about it and apparently there are some people commented very often happens, where they think its for everybody else but not for them. And they ignored it, and now it paid a terrible price for it. But, the rules are there, they are going to come up with more rules and im satisfied that like a lot of other things we go through, it was most unfortunate, as i said it cost a lot of people their jobs. But it wont happen again. And if it does, they will get killed. Okay that sounds alright to me. Lets just talk more personally because i also love what i read in your book about your love a baseball, where it came from, your mother, ukraine, going to games with her. And then obviously than the walkie team that you got. Just tell some of the personal story about how you and everybody has a reason why baseball becomes a passionate its usually apparent. In your case your mother. It was. When i was a little kid our member my mother listening to games on the radio. The brewers word american association. She started taking me to it games early on. Thats how i became in the 40s i would buy every baseball magazine and do the things we did. I will tell you a funny story about that. Now we are in the 50s and we are in madison, im president of the fraternity we have a big luncheon. And my mother is there, my mother and dad, and my mothers there with a transistor radio on her ear and i am dying because i figured in the midst of this luncheon she yells out there playing their and the whole room goes dead after shields theyve got a homerun. You are secretly proud. I wasnt surprised. [laughter] and so thats how it all happened. My dad he would take me in the late 40s early 50s would go to chicago to see the yankees, believe it or not i was a yankees fan because of joe dimaggio. But its my mother and will be got a team, ill tell you one of the. She takes me to it new york in 1949, my 15th birthday. We go to yankee stadium, we are sitting in the upper deck, on my birthday, july 30. And they wheel a big cake out. Now i of course at that time already figured the world was there it was only for me and i center how could you do that to me . And she says what you talking about. I said theres a birthday cake on the field it was caseys birthday who with the new york yankees so we got over that we went to boston and she wanted to go to art museums and she had many other interests. But we go to fenway park, and they yankees are playing. Dimaggio is coming back in the yankees are playing. We get up to the ticket window and the guy slams it down and says you cant do that i brought my boy from milwaukee. He didnt give a damn about anything about that. We didnt get in, we walked around fenway park for a long time and left. Thirty years later, the brewers are there, really good and at a big series with the red sox. She had asked me if she can come and i said of course you can come. And we go, they put her down right next to the dugout and i went in the clubhouse and i came back and she had only one line when i came up. Its a little different than 30 years ago. Thats great. So talk about, i know you said one of your most proud moments was keeping that team and no walking and being able to give milwaukee the team back. So why dont you tell people that story. The making of the braves came some a walk in 1953, they had a remarkable team never played under 500. All the sudden it changed ownership, in fact omalley and 55 and six was using looper renee in the braves he had to move because they were taught way over 2 Million People which was stunning in that day. And the braves left that have time to tell the whole story im very sad very unfair, and i spent the next five and a half years. And doris applied to the american league, applied to the National League got turned down on expansion, thought we had the white sox bought, and all the sudden this seattle pirates were available. They wanted to keep in seattle, and mercifully, they couldnt find an owner in seattle. All winter long they tried. And in march of 1970, the seattle pilots became to milwaukee and on the night of march 31, we opened up seven days later. And i have often said, and they have had a great 50 years, great players playing, its hard to believe the number of hall of famers and milwaukee drew almost 3 Million People last year. Was back to the omalley thing it was just a situation. But fortunately this could be rectified. So with all the things that have happened to me that have gone on i will always be proudest to bring a team back to milwaukee. He gay. [applause] so you must have been when the team won for the first time in a long time. Like the red sox, or Washington Nationals its so rewarding, than Washington Nationals, i was able to go to a game when obama was there, and then you were able the owners allowed me to it have the picture taken when i was doing the book on teddy roosevelt. With the two mascots because these have teddy and taft is these big things it would run around the court. And they would somehow always lose or teddy would lose. Once i felt such an emotional connection after the red sox were long after it to the nationals this year. I happen to be at a barr in texas giving a lecture that night, and people there was a sense all around the country that people know theres a team that hasnt one in a long time and deserves it they feel the sense of underdog the sense of wanting the pleasure of those kids and parents, saw the salvation after words, it was great. And chicago cubs having that happen in the red sox having it happen. Thats what you want for every team to have that a norm is joy. more times than anyone else in the 21stcentury. As we would say until the yankee guys say, what about our 20 wins in the century before. There was something about that feeling of connection to everybody. People would bring a red sox hat to their grandfathers grave. Im sure they did that in chicago and washington. Something about baseball that connects generations that i think is special. I remember when we won the pennant and 82. People wrote me letters and how it affected their family and their lives. Thats why when youre in baseball, especially when youre a commissioner, you have to understand what it means to so many people. The application you have because of this very connection you are talking about. I remember there are many things i could tell you but there was a woman who was a teacher in madison wrote me a long beautiful weather how it had helped her family. They came in to see me. When you realize the impact its made on their lives, you are grateful. I think bud knows the story. In my first confession in the catholic church, i had to confess to sins relating to baseball. The first occurred because the dodger catcher Roy Campanella was coming to my hometown to do a lecture. I was so excited. But it was announced he was speaking at a protestant church. When you brought up as a catholic, you think if you ever step foot in a protestant church, i went to my father in tears and said what are we going to do . He said not to worry. He speaking in the parish hall. Hes talking about sportsmanship. It is not a religious service or a. I went over the threshold that i fearing i had sold my life of my everlasting soul for this one evening with Roy Campanella. I decided to tell the priest right away. He told me that the is nothing wrong with that but not a sin. But unfortunately, he said, what else my child, then i had to admit to the other baseball send. Wishing harm on others. I had to admit that the new york cranky players would break on his legs and ankles so that the brooklyn dodgers could win their first world series. Is that how often do you make these horrible wishes . I said every night when i make my prayer. He said i promise you one day they will win fairly and squarely. You dont have to wish harm to make it happen. As i left the confessional, say a prayer for my brooklyn dodgers. But thats what it does to you. Tell everybody about what it must have been like waiting for the hall of fame news. You shouldve knew you had a good chance to get in. They tell you youll be called a certain time. Well, they tell they will call at 4 45 p. M. So im there and family is there everybody said, your first ballet. You have to worry. Now its 4 46 p. M. , i said, i told you. At 4 47 p. M. She calls. What did they say . Rex congratulations bud, youve been elected to the hall of fame. [applause] ive often thought about this. The morning of the hall of fame ceremony, i got up and i started thinking about all those days as a kid going to games and then the whole milwaukee situation and the commissioner situation. The tough times of being the commissioner as well as the good times. But there are bows. I always say to rob manfred, always remember this. No matter what you do, somebodys going to be mad. And thats true. An absolute fact. And to think who couldve ever imagined from those days of walking in the streets, trying to get a team. I never thought about being in the hall of fame. It was overwhelming. I dont mind telling you, it was really overwhelming. Im proud i wear my pen every day. They ask you to do that but im happy to do it and honored to do it. Luckily, ive been able to go to a couple hall of fame games. Its like a throwback to the other world. Old players come back and they said on these chairs and a great hotel and tell the stories. You and it came to the hall of fame with a friend. We sat, this is when my book henry allen and his wife. The four of us on the veranda at the hotel. And telling stories. She said to me, you got to write a book. You cant let the stories go. I hadnt thought about it at the time. Theres something, i love history. When you walk the halls of the hall of fame and you see all that and the people in it and why theyre in it and how theyre in it. I said its overwhelming and thats all i can say. It really overwhelming. Tell me what you think about the future of baseball. Theres talk about shortening the game. Having to make it more whatever. More prone to understanding todays world. Kids are planning baseball in the same way in little league. I still believe its always going to be a sport that ties us together but id love to hear your thoughts about this. Say this from the start. Again, history is important. Ive heard this for years about baseball. In 1958, there was a fourth editor of the milwaukee journal. Not one of the great human beings of all time. But anyway, he wrote a column that got national attention. He said baseball is more abundant. Now here we are 6061 years later. The games Gross Revenue is over 13 billion. In those days, if a club drew 1 Million People, they were successful. Today, if a club doesnt draw 2. 5 Million People, theyre successful. And so, baseball is like Everything Else in life. It goes through different periods. It goes to different cycles. But is it a game that will survive, you bet it will. We talk about the time of the game and so on and so forth. I note that other sports are running really long too. But we will do things about that. I think they have already. They are mindful of that. I think theres an adult in my mind that 4050 years from now, baseball will have grown tremendously. By the way, we have a Wonderful Group of Young Players starting with mike trout. Really spectacular. So im very satisfied that we will solve the problems ahead of us because honestly, im partial but its the best game in the world. I agree totally. Was there ever a chance of having a Team Salary Cap . In the 90s when i started i knew all the things we had to do and it was unfortunate. We lost the world series because that was all about salary cap. And they were not wrong. They wanted it to protect themselves. The nfl has it. But the Players Association to this day wont go along with it. But weve done a lot of other things. On the draft and really have gotten Meaningful Solutions out of it. They wont accept a salary cap outlook, i said how competitive we are. The competition is really good. Milwaukee last year and oakland. They really did remarkably well. And that will go on again. Today, im not sure what weve done isnt better than a salary cap. Putting it all together. You bet. Still when spring comes in the trucks are going to florida and to arizona that somehow its the beginning of winter being over and in the summer is there. Part of it is is such a long part of the year. Really the whole year where other sports are much more intense but they are gone. Thats right. No question that starting in march and going to the end of september and then into the playoffs, its really a part of your lives. But the fact of the matter is, get back to the question about what baseball is today. We were at 70 million last year. So people talk about, people by the way, there are more kids playing baseball today than ever before. Really . And every other sport. They did studies last year. More kids playing baseball than any other sport. I think things have happened. With other sports without me analyzing it. I feel good about where we are. Doesnt mean we dont have problems. Doesnt mean we dont have things. But i really think they will. Thats why when i say to you, we have this wonderful wave of Young Players. Its remarkable. You watch in september when you have pennant races. The learners will understand that. Its exciting. They are the latest example. Look what theyre winning dude in washington and work . Look what it did to people. It makes an impression and it creates excitement that people who are going through it in those cities, never forget. I even had a dream when you took over the Washington Nationals that it would Bring Congress together. That somehow democrats and republicans would be sitting sidebyside and they would forget they hate each other not sure that dream has been realized but probably times when there at the park together and at least forget for the moment that they dont like each other. Baseball has done a lot for communities, for the country. But he cant do that because im not sure anything left can do that. The great thing about bud is that if they used to call ted williams, teddy baseball, they should call you but baseball. You love this game so much. What matters more for a leader in any field than the passion they hold and the belief that your leading matters and you give everything to that. Look how may times you are elected over and over. I think theres nothing that should give you more pleasure than knowing the country and all of us that love baseball are so grateful that it was you that was there all this time. Thank you. [applause] one thing ive always said, and is true with everything in life. If you dont have a passion for it, you shouldnt do it. Theres no question as a commissioner, i was more of a fan. I could separate the fan out but i do love the game. I will send many a night and watch all 15 games. You have to love the game. Got to have passion for it. I said before, its the sociological part of it. When you talk about brooklyn. That was a negative part of it. I remember, i will be candid. When we went through the steroid thing. Baseball today has the toughest steroid Testing Program in america. Not only in sports, but in america. But when i walked into the hearing in over five, the first two speakers were sons with played baseball and committed suicide. Because they took steroids. I remember how it hit me. Weve got to do something about this. The next morning i called one of them. He now does and goes to every team. Thats the role of baseball as a social institution. But at least when i look back on baseball. And i look forward to it. We really have a wonderful role and im proud most everybody really understands that. When i was in graduate school, i was in a course with and he said, when you get older in life, what you hope youve developed in life is a combination of finding work which you have passion for. And finding play. Which means something outside of those that can give you pleasure and joy. For me, that love of the brooklyn dodgers. I go in that game and i forget Everything Else thats bothering me. Just for that night. For any sport or passion. It could be art, music, baseball. Its what we all need to give ourselves that other dimension in life. Im so grateful for the role you played in my passion for all of these years. Im so glad you could hear this great character today. [applause] thank you. [inaudible conversations]