June 9, 2002. On a day when Ryuki Ueyama beat Takaharu Murahama by submission in a rear naked choke hold on his way to becoming the DEEP Japan Middleweight Champion, something unforgettable happened.
A tie. A symbolically rude finger gesture pointed directly at all the baseball fans in the known universe. Allan Huber “Bud” Selig had once again changed the game forever. The fallout from the 7-7 MLB All-Star game was expected.
Even though this was one of the most public mistakes made by the worst man ever to step foot on a baseball diamond, it never stood alone.
Steroids, the Mitchell Report, the 1994 strike, the World Baseball Classic, the Jeffrey Loria scandal, the Pete Rose ban, the Kenny Rodger’s suspension, instant replay and the growing power of owners all lay on the wayside of Selig’s path to destroy MLB.
When Selig took over as MLB commissioner he was the most powerful man in sports. Sadly, he used that power to destroy everything by paying as much attention to steroid abuse as the United States population paid to Mr. Ueyama’s victory.
The only thing left is to celebrate the end of tyranny and welcome back baseball to the way it should be, when Selig finally retires in 2012.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
