Major League Baseball Commissioner Passed Away At 86

WPBF 25 News, YouTube

Fay Vincent, who became Major League Baseball’s commissioner in 1989 and guided the league through the earthquake-interrupted Bay Area World Series, has passed away at the age of 86, MLB announced Sunday via ESPN.

Vincent had been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for bladder cancer but developed complications, including bleeding, according to his wife, Christina. Choosing to halt treatment, he passed away on Saturday at a hospital in Vero Beach, Florida.

 

 

 

 

“Mr. Vincent served the game during a time of many challenges, and he remained proud of his association with our national pastime throughout his life,” baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

Francis T. “Fay” Vincent Jr. (May 29, 1938 – January 6, 2024) was an American lawyer and businessman who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1989 to 1992. Known for his integrity and leadership, Vincent navigated the league through several challenges, including the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that disrupted the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants.

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Vincent graduated from Williams College and later earned his law degree from Yale University. He worked as a corporate attorney and later became an executive at Columbia Pictures and Coca-Cola before stepping into baseball administration. In 1989, following the sudden passing of Commissioner Bart Giamatti, Vincent, who had been deputy commissioner, was unanimously elected to succeed him.

As commissioner, Vincent took a strong stance on integrity in the game, upholding Giamatti’s lifetime ban of Pete Rose for gambling. He also played a key role in labor negotiations, though his tenure was marked by tensions with team owners. His efforts to maintain order during the 1990 lockout helped save the season, but growing opposition from the owners led to his forced resignation in 1992.

Rest in Peace.