Major League Baseball’s Commissioner, Rob Manfred, disclosed his longstanding loyalty as a Yankees aficionado. This revelation, divulged on the popular ‘Pardon My Take’ show on a recent Monday, set off a fast-paced chatter among baseball enthusiasts. Manfred casually mentioned his avid following of the New York-based Yankees, a devotion that is still kept alive by daily viewing of their games.
Manfred’s confession, ‘I grew up a Yankee fan and I still watch a lot of their games,’ evidently painted a distinct picture of his youthful preferences. The revelation shined a light into the Commissioner’s personal life, pointing to the connection between his early passion for the Yankees, and a consistent enthusiasm for sports that seems to remain undimmed.
In an effort to keep the balance in check and to avoid the perception of favoritism, Manfred stated he also spent a considerable amount of time tuning into the Mets games. His rationale for this equal distribution of attention is being a New York resident where both the teams hold fort. He added, ‘On most nights, I keep switching between Yankees or Mets games, and the Extra Innings package to keep tabs on the happenings in the rest of the league.’
A native of Rome, New York, residing not too far from Utica, his allegiance to the Yankees has been kindled and nurtured since the 1960s and ’70s, the decades marking the Yankees’ prominence. Manfred’s affinity for the Yankees seems to have been sparked during this historic time period.
Shortly after the revelation, social media platforms were inundated with reactions. An amusing wave of jests emerged, with baseball fans jokingly suggesting that Manfred was possibly orchestrating the league in favor of the Yankees.
One such light-hearted comment posed the question, ‘Is he still handing the Yankees juiced balls?’ While another fan nodded in the inherence of the situation noting, ‘Well, this unravels quite a few things.’ These comments underscore the comical undertone the revelation evoked among the fans.
Of note, is that Manfred stands alone amongst North American sports’ top leadership in being open about his team allegiance, as part of the community he presides over. The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell admitted to being a fan of the then-Redskins in the Washington, D.C. area, but affirmed to have left his partiality at the door when he started his tenure at the league office during the ’80s.
Gary Bettman, the NHL’s head, and Adam Silver, NBA’s commissioner, reportedly have their sporting roots with Rangers and Knicks respectively. However, unlike Manfred, both leaders have not publicly affirmed if they continue following their teams from their childhood, in their current designated roles.
Rob Manfred’s candidness about his team preference might stem from his career pathway. Initially employed by MLB for contract negotiations in 1987, he has experienced a considerable run in the organization, culminating in his current role.
In 2015, Manfred stepped into the shoes of his predecessor, Bud Selig, as the Commissioner of MLB. His tenure has seen him balance his duties as the overseer of the league, while staying true to his childhood fascination for the game, and the Yankees in particular.