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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN num: 9781416578017
ISBN number: 1416578013
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 336
Printing Date: September 21, 2007
Publishing house: Simon & Schuster
Sale Popularity Level: 1506466
Studio: Simon & Schuster
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On a beautiful July morning in 1991, three men gathered in a hotel suite for an informal breakfast and conversation. The discusion ranged widely over events and characters of the past, famous names and fabled accomplishments flowing along with the coffee and juice. Two of them, Ted Williams and JoeDiMaggio, were the ultimate symbols of athletic glory for generations of American men. The third man, Fay Vincent, was living a dream, sitting with and asking questions of his boyhood heroes.
Fay Vincent never set out to be the commissioner of baseball. He got into the game alongside his good friend A. Bartlett Giamatti, as deputy commissioner, when Giamatti was named to the sport's highest office in 1989. They spent their very first spring and summer dealing with Pete Rose's gambling, and Vincent's legal expertise complemented his friend's moral thunder. But that was to be their only season working side by side, as Bart Giamatti's heart gave out just days after the announcement of the Rose suspension. Vincent found himself the only logical candidate to fill a position as guardian of the best interests of the game he loves.
In The Last Commissioner: A Baseball Valentine, Vincent takes us along for the ultimate fan's fantasy camp. As commissioner, he got to talk baseball with the likes of Yogi Berra, Larry Doby, Warren Spahn, Ernie Banks, Eddie Lopat, Whitey Ford, and Henry Aaron. He brought his legal training to bear on the delicate issue of whether Roger Clemens uttered the magic word that would justify his being tossed out of a playoff game (and it's not the word you think). He was one of the few outsiders at the annual Hall of Fame banquet for the new inductees and their immortal peers, where he watched, amazed, as Johnny Mize demonstrated to Ralph Kiner his method of hitting an inside pitch -- a piece of advice from forty years past. And he brought equal respect and attention to the greats of the Negro Leagues, listening to the gracefully told stories of Joe Black and Buck O'Neil, slowly learning how Slick Surratt earned his nickname, hearing Jimmie Crutchfield give as good a definition of a well-lived life as we will everknow.
Vincent shares these stories and more: his high regard for umpires, instilled in his youth by his father, an NFL official and respected local ump; his close relations with the Bush family, forged in a summer spent working in the oil fields with his schoolmate Bucky Bush, the 41st president's brother (and 43rd president's uncle); his unusual experiences with the relentless George Steinbrenner, including the famous meeting where the Yankees owner was facing a two-year suspension and plea-bargained it down to a lifetime ban. Vincent also gives his candid views on the state of baseball today, firm in his belief that the game will survive its current leadership and even prosper.
Through it all, Vincent's deep love of baseball shines through. His most remarkable accomplishment as commissioner may have been to emerge from the office with his fandom intact. The Last Commissioner is truly a valentine to the game, written with the insight and vision that comes from the lofty perch of the ultimate front-row seat.
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Rated by buyers 
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I tend to stay away from autobiographies as some could better be cross marketed as fiction.
Vincent didn't care for Selig or Kuhn, as he states that Selig & Reinsdorf were the ring leaders in the 1987 collusion. He doesn't really have a whole lot to say about Uberroth, other than collusion. Selig wanted the job of commissioner all along. Okay, that was no surprise statement, as I think most astute fans surmised that during Bud's protracted interim commissioner period. George W. Bush called Fay (family friend) on at least two occasions to mention that Selig said that George could have the job if he wanted it. Fay told George that he thought that Selig really wanted the job for himself and that he should forget about becoming commissioner. Personally I think there's good chance that Bush may become commissioner come 2009.
Fay doesn't come out and say say it but other than for window dressing the hiring of Bill White as NL President was a mistake. Vincent does confess that the job of league president is little more than getting along with the umpires and keeping peace within the league with little policy making or management skills particularily needed, which qualified White for the job. Fay states that White admitted that he always has had a problem with authority figures. Vincent & Giamatti tried to get White to take the lead on improving minority issues in MLB, but White said that he had no interest in that as he was tired of beating his head against the wall.
I can think of worse league presidents than White (Gene Budig immediately comes to mind). Fay loved Len Coleman and thought he shouldn't have been dumped by MLB, when his position as NL president was no longer needed.
Vicent does give some interesting insight as to the hard core owners were who wanted to bust the MLB union (Selig, et al), and has some very innovative ideas on how a better relationship between the owners and players could be had. Fay had some interesting comments about Joe D & Mays. I found it amazing (but maybe I shouldn't have) how the owners gave Giamatti everything he wanted in the contract to be commissioner that Vincent negotiated for his friend Bart. The problem was that MLB really had no point person to negotiate the contract in their behalf, Giamatti was really ordained as commissioner before the terms were negotiated.
Rated by buyers 
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Most of this book consists of Vincent relaying very short and sweet stories about small incidents and moments in time. Particularly, he pays very much attention to retired players he met and coming to terms with the differences in public personas and actual personalities.
I expected a far heavier treatment given the very first half of the title. However, the opinions and issues are very skant throughout the book. There moments he gives opinions are often not substantiated and the depth of material is actually suited best for younger readers.I expected the opportunity to be taken to rationalize the role of the commissioner and outline a concrete argument about Vincent's experiences and how things could improve. Instead, the minor essays give a taste of the subject that most hardcore baseball fans would already know before reading.
Rated by buyers -
I was a fan of Fay Vincent during his tenure as commissioner. I did not always agree with his decisions, but I respected him. That respect has waned some over the years, particularly in light of his invoking 'the best interests of baseball' clause which was just a euphemism for 'what I want.'
Fay Vincent shone on the brightest stage for a brief period. His handling of the 1989 World Series' interruption by earthquake was a public relations ten strike as well as a needed healing element in the Bay Area. But Vincent was aloof and arrogant in interviews, and he simply did not bring the love or zest for the game that his predecessor, A. Bartlett Giammatti brought.
Vincent was also clearly pushed offstage by the owners for their ill-fated 1994-95 showdown with the players. Let's face it, replacing a commissioner with a fellow owner is a conflict of interest in any scenario much less one where there are billions of dollars at stake on both sides. So he has my sympathy for that.
The book shines in a couple of spots, particularly the stories of the 1989 World Series and his friendship with Giammati, who died in September 1989. It also tells - from Vincent's viewpoint anyway - the story of the man with whom Vincent's name along with Giammati's will be eternally connected, Pete Rose. Vincent seemingly plays the Emporer to Giammati's Darth Vader - and without blushing, arrogantly holds to Rose's punishment.
Pete Rose bet on baseball. This fact is not in doubt. Pete Rose deserved to be punished. Banned forever? Perhaps. Denied entry into the Hall of Fame? Not a chance. Vincent's endeavor to distance himself from this is disgusting. Of all those involved with the Rose investigation, Vincent and prosecutor John Dowd have retained an arrogant posture towards Rose. Their view seems to be, "He bet on baseball, he's banned for life, tough." Fair enough. Except that these two conspired to keep the names of UMPIRES who were gambling secret during the exact same time frame!!!
On March 8, 2002, several news outlets reported that Vincent had 'secretly' placed umpires Rich Garcia and Frank Pulli on probation in 1989 (the same year as the Rose scandal) for gambling. Vincent's 'defense' is that 'there was no evidence the umpires bet on baseball.' That sounds good but it evades the bigger issue - gamblers and bookies. The fear is that an indebted gambler will throw a game or fix the outcome to pay off his debts. Does not a home plate umpire have a MUCH GREATER effect on the outcome of a game than a manager (none of Rose's gambling occurred when he was a player - at least from the investigation's standpoint)? Vincent's hypocrisy on this issue renders his verdict meaningless and indicates he clearly still has 'it' in for Rose.
Vincent even engaged in some libelous hearsay in the book by claiming that USA Today writer Hal Bodley had told him Rose had gambled on baseball as a player back in the 70s. Hmm. Vincent, of course, didn't bother to mention that he had absolutely no evidence for that, however.
I think Vincent is worried about being famous. Face it, if Rose is ever elected to the HOF, the only long-lasting claim to fame that Vincent has is gone. He'll be remembered as the guy who went overboard - even to the point of denying the guy a place on the Hall ballot - to ensure his legacy. The very first time I ever heard of Fay Vincent was the night after Rose was banned when I read that morning's USA Today. Vincent wanted NO NEGOTIATION on when the lifetime ban could be overturned. Here's a man who has shown hypocrisy in his dealings between gamblers and doesn't even offer a chance at redemption (never mind his inane view that drugs are somehow different - look at the steroid scandal and get back to me).
The book has its highs and its lows. I do recommend a read but check out many of Vincent's claims that do not withstand scrutiny.
Fay Vincent was a good head of Paramount and Coca-Cola; he was mediocre as a commissioner.
Rated by buyers 
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Fay Vincent calls his book his "valentine to baseball" and it's not too far off from the truth. He has divided each chapter into their own "half innings," the "top half" being about a particular topic, and the "bottom half" being various lists. In between, his stories and opinions I found to be quite entertaining and even in some cases thought-provoking. Whether it's relaying old baseball anecdotes involving Hall of Famers like Yogi Berra, Ted Williams & Joe DiMaggio, or old Negro League ballplayers he got to know during his stint as Commissioner, or stories about his friendship with both George Bush and his son (a one time Texas Rangers owner), or more serious topics like the suspension of Pete Rose, his time and friendship with Bart Giamatti (the commissioner he succeeded in office after Giamatti's death), or his experiences at the earthquake-marred 1989 World Series, the reader is certainly never bored. I especially found his story about this fascinating, as I was among the crowd at that game 3 some thirteen years ago now. I never realized how much Isaiah Nelson, a SF cop on duty at the game helped to orchestrate the orderly evacuation of the park.
After reading his thoughts on Rose, I as well as another reviewer have come to change my mind about whether Rose should be re admitted to the game (although as of this review, pressure to reinstate Rose in some capacity seems to be growing). I also agreed with him about Steve Howe, whose continued readmittance to baseball after several drug convictions in my humble opinion marred the game. When Vincent resigned as commissioner of baseball in 1992, I felt the game has been deprived of a leader, even if I sometimes disagreed with his decisions. I wouldn't call this book a "great masterpiece," but I'm glad I ignored a couple of negative reviews I've seen of it. This book is an enjoyable read and makes me wonder how different today's game might have been if Vincent had been allowed to at least finish out his term as commissioner, much less be commissioner today.
Rated by buyers -
The anecdotes of old time baseball are worth the price off the book alone. Vincent's tales of meeting with Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio are priceless. The splitting of chapters into topics and lists were fun. Each chapter offered something new, a virtual learning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to any real baseball fan. It shed a new light on his commissionership in my opinion and, in the true test of writing, actually changed my mind about Pete Rose and his inclusion into the Hall of Fame. I always thought Pete should be admitted, but after reading Vincent's words, I have changed my mind.
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