This is a video I develped and edited after attending this event. It's divded into two parts of the full speech of MLB Commissioner Alan H. "Bud" Selig, before the San Francisco Bay Area media at the Fox Sports Net Bay Area Annual Baseball Season Kickoff Luncheon on Thursday, February 8th, 2007.
The Commissioner gave a wide ranging talk starting on the success of major league baseball in attendance, and reporting that baseball has 22 new stadiums, but is interested in seeing teams like the Oakland A's get new facilities, soon.
I recommend turning the sound way up, because The Commissioner has the habit of turning his head away from the mic as he talks, thus making it hard to understand what he's saying at first listen.
In Part 2, we hear the Commissioner explain that in 10 years, we will not recognize baseball because it would have spread internationally. He points with pride to the success of the World Baseball Classic as a picture of the sport's future, even though he was initially nervous that it would not do well.
Then the Commissioner revisits the steroids subject, assuring that the game is just fine and that Barry Bonds will be treated just like any other record-breaking player, should he shatter the home run record.
Finally, the second video also covers most of the question-and-answer session that followed, feauring a very long question asked by KNBR radio's Ralph Barberi and notable because his agression in asking the question and his follow-up questions which pissed off a number of patrons. (I'm sorry, but there's no other way to put it.)
Ralph's concern was if baseball would let a player into the Hall of Fame that had tested positive for steroids, or was believed to have used them. But the question came as more of a long speech, followed by two other questions he asked without the aid of a mic. The Comissioner's eventual response was that who gets in to the Hall of Fame was the decision of the Baseball Writers Asssociation and not him.
The video contains some titles to help you understand what the Commissioner is saying. Use this video set as a guide to determine the consistency of his answers as the baseball season wears on.
Here's Part One:
Part Two:
