Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent died Saturday, Feb. 1, at the age of 86, current commissioner Rob Manfred announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.
Vincent presided over the game following the death of his predecessor, Bart Giamatti, in September of 1989. Vincent held the position for nearly three years before resigning in 1992.
‘Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed responsibly following the earthquake prior to Game Three, and he oversaw the process that resulted in the 1993 National League expansion to Denver and Miami,’ Manfred said.
‘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. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Fay’s family and friends.’
An entertainment lawyer from Yale Law School before joining MLB, Francis ‘Fay’ Vincent was asked to join his longtime friend as deputy commissioner when Giamatti was named the seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball on April 1, 1989.
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Vincent played a major role in resolving MLB’s dispute with Pete Rose over Rose’s gambling activities, which resulted in baseball’s all-time hit leader being suspended indefinitely from the sport.
When Giamatti died suddenly of a heart attack later that year, Vincent took over as commissioner, presiding over the game during a 1990 lockout.
His rocky relationship with the owners ultimately came to a head when two-thirds of them gave him a vote of no confidence, leading to his resignation in late 1992.