Why did the MLB owners decide to extend Rob Manfred’s contract?

After two seasons of unprecedented disruption to America’s holiest shrine, it’s sacred pastime, first with an owner-induced early season lockout over collective bargaining and then with the introduction of the most sweeping rule changes in the last century, there is one thing that is absolutely certain. Rob Manfred is just the man for the job.

So say the MLB owners, the men who sign the pay check for the commissioner’s role, as they have voted to extend his tenure by four more years, which will see the lifelong lawyer remain in the job until at least 2029.

Succeeding Bud Selig to the job in 2014, Manfred has already had his contract extended once, and while his tenure has been full of controversy, the owners are riding with him again. Manfred will have to oversee another collective bargaining agreement before the end of his third term, and that could be a big part of the reason that he is the owners’ guy. He is a perfect hatchet man.

While the fans have not exactly warmed to Manfred, his reappointment was seen as largely a foregone conclusion. It is the owners, not the fans or the “integrity of the game”, who Manfred must answer to. And the bottom line is that he has made them all a lot of money.

MLB revenue has roughly doubled under his tutelage, from $7 billion to over $11 billion per year. John Stanton, chairman and managing partner of the Seattle Mariners, and most importantly, the elected presiding officer of the Commissioner re-election process, said in a news release, “At a critical moment in the history of our game, Commissioner Manfred has listened to our fans and worked closely with our players to improve America’s pastime. Under his leadership, we have been responsive to the fans’ desire for more action and better pace, continued the game’s spirit of innovation, expanded MLB’s role in youth baseball and softball and beyond. The significant momentum that MLB has built reflects his ongoing initiatives that are advancing the game.”

In the same release, Manfred said, “It is an honor to serve the best game in the world and to continue the pursuit of strengthening our sport on and off the field. This season, our players are displaying the most vibrant version of our game, and sports fans are responding in a manner that is great for Major League Baseball’s future. Together, all of us in the game will work toward presenting our sport at its finest and broadening its reach and impact for our loyal fans.”

Espousing the philosophy of Steve Bannon, Manfred has taken to heart the credo of the former presidential advisor that “The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit. This is not about persuasion: This is about disorientation.”

When the players stood united against the rule changes that Manfred wanted, the rules committee simply over ruled them. The assault began months earlier, with well-placed articles in well-respected publications bemoaning the length of the game, the falloff in fan interest, the track record of umpires. In military terms, the target was being softened.

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In the end, Manfred and the owners got their way, despite a unanimous “no” vote from the players representatives. The unthinkable had happened and baseball, for the first time in its long and noble history, would be on the clock.

Manfred took the heat for it and has not backed down. If anything, he is emboldened, suggesting that he, and he alone, has the formula needed to bring baseball even bigger riches. And for now at least, the owners are ready to ride along with him.