July 9, 1998

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Alan H. `Bud' Selig , on his unanimous selection today to serve as baseball's ninth permanent commissioner .

Alan `Bud' Selig is a very good friend of mine.

Admittedly today's announcement is somewhat anti-climactic as Bud Selig's tenure has already surpassed that of four of his eight predecessors as commissioner . But this is truly a special day and a great accomplishment for a deserving and wonderful American.

Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Bud were college classmates. Most college classmates would consider it a great success if later in life they were to share season tickets to a ballpark. This was a unique college roommate relationship in that both of them ended up being owners of major league franchises within their own city.

I must admit that I can think of few college rooming groups in our Nation's history who have attained such success. Most roommates simply aspire to one day share a set of season-tickets, but for each roommate to own one of the home town professional sports teams must surely be unprecedented.

While Bud may be an owner, he has always remained first and foremost, a fan, and that is why I think that he has been and will continue to be a successful commissioner . He understands the power of the game and the joy and disappointment that it can deliver to its fans.

Bud , you have an important job ahead of you, and some large footsteps that you must walk in. But I have every confidence that you will serve in a manner worthy of the position and its history. Congratulations.

When Milwaukee joined the major leagues in 1953, Bud became a Braves fan and subsequently the largest public stockholder in 1963. But he saw his beloved Braves move to Atlanta in 1965 and he then sold his stock.

But in recognition of the importance of baseball to the city, Bud formed an organization to bring baseball back to Milwaukee. After several heartbreaking failures Bud was successful in 1970 when a Seattle bankruptcy court awarded the Seattle franchise to the investment group led by Bud Selig , and the modern-day Milwaukee Brewers were born.

Bud has led the Brewers since the move to Milwaukee, and has upon his selection as commissioner placed his interest in a trust. His daughter Wendy is currently serving as the president of the club.

Not only is Bud an asset to the game of baseball , but he is a pillar in his community. He is a member of the board of the Green Bay Packers football team and the University of Wisconsin medical school. He was a founder of athletes for youth, helped establish the child abuse prevention network and serves on the board for businesses against drunk driving. He is also a trustee of the Boys and Girls Club.

From the day that he took the reigns of baseball's executive council he has been faced with serious and difficult issues. He presided over the 230-day strike that wiped out the World Series for the first time in 90 years and led to a sharp drop-off in attendance and popularity. But eventually, he was able to help secure a new collective bargaining agreement with the players association, and the game has been moving in the right direction ever since.

Bud Selig has implemented a number of changes to the game that have been overwhelmingly popular with baseball's fans.

As a Red Sox fan, I want to personally thank the commissioner for implementing the popular wild card system. When I look in the sports pages today to check the standings, I don't see Boston as being 11 games out of first place. Instead, I see them with a five game lead in the wild card race. For that, I and much of New England thank the new commissioner .

He has also instigated interleague play that has brought tremendous excitement to cities all across America. For years, the Yankees-Mets or Cubs-White Sox debate took place in bar rooms and diners, but today it's taking place on the baseball diamond, where it should be.

Thanks to Bud Selig's leadership, baseball fans are no longer talking about labor programs. Instead they're talking about the quest to surpass Roger Maris's 61 home runs or Hack Wilson's RBI record. They're talking about whether or not the Yankees can break the record for most wins in a season. They're talking about the playoff hopes of the Red Sox and the Mets. And not only are they talking about baseball , but they're also going to the ball park, as major league attendance has almost completely returned to its pre-strike levels.

Today's vote is a testament to the job that Bud had done as interim commissioner . When he took the post in a temporary role in 1992, few people would have ever imagined that an owner could be approved as full-time commissioner . But Bud Selig is a commissioner for the future of baseball , and he will continue doing an admirable job tackling the problems of the modern game.

Perhaps the biggest problems facing baseball today is the dichotomy between rich and poor teams. And few Commissioners could be as uniquely well-suited to address this issue. As the owner of a small-market team Bud Selig understands the difficulties that the Milwaukees and Montreals of the world have going up against teams like the Braves and the Yankees.

He was instrumental in securing a revenue-sharing agreement between large and small market teams, and I am confident that he will continue seeking ways to address this issue.

In addition to a valuable perspective, Bud Selig also possesses the leadership skills and demeanor that will be necessary to take baseball into the next century. He's a far cry from the iron-fist of Judge Kinnesaw Mountain Landis. Instead, Bud Selig rules by consensus, and his consensus building skills will help him provide the unified leadership that will keep baseball on the right track as it heads into the 21st century.

On a personal note, I want to thank Bud Selig for his efforts to help expedite the move of the Yankees double-A farm team to Norwich, Connecticut. This ball club has played in Norwich for a few years now, and it has really helped to bring that community even closer together. They play in a beautiful ball park, that I'm proud to say is named after my father--Senator Thomas Dodd. The dedication of that stadium and the playing of the first minor league game in Norwich was a special day for me, and Bud Selig took the time from his busy schedule to spend that day with me and the people of Connecticut. And for that, I am thankful.

So our deep and sincere congratulations to Bud .

In closing, I would like to read a passage from one of Bud Selig's predecessors that highlights the significance of the job that he has just taken.

A former Connecticut resident who served as commissioner of baseball , A. Bartlett Giamatti, who passed away, former president of Yale University, wrote:

I believe baseball is a beautiful and exciting game, loved by millions--I among them--and I believe baseball an important, enduring American institution. It must assert and aspire to the highest principles--of integrity, of professionalism of performance, of fair play within its rules. It will come as no surprise that like any institution composed of human beings, this institution will not always fulfill its highest aspirations. I know of no worldly institution that does but this one, because it is so much a part of our history as a people, and because it has such a penchant on our national soul, has an obligation to the people for whom it is played to, its fans, and well-wishers to strive for excellence in all things to promote the highest ideals. I am told that I am an idealist. I hope so. I will continue to locate ideals I hold for myself and my country in the national game as well as in others of our national institutions.

`Bud' Selig , I think, embraces those thoughts that Bartlett Giamatti expressed some years ago before his untimely and early death. I am very confident that we will all be proud of his tenure as commissioner of baseball .

I wanted to take this moment to congratulate `Bud' Selig and his family this evening. It is a proud night for them, and certainly it is a good night for baseball and for America as well.