Has baseball ever had a good commissioner?

I argue 'no' and it's because of the sides I take on some controversial issues that each man had to deal with in his time. Depending on your side on the issues, or how much weight you give them, I suppose some of you may agree or disagree. I'd love to hear thoughts.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis ... yes, he did clean up the gambling (well, maybe not Cobb/Speaker if you believe that one) ... but the color barrier held firm. To me there's something awfully troubling about the fact that two years after he's gone Jackie Robinson is signed to play in Montreal.

Happy Chandler ... yes, the color line was broken early in his tenure ... but, history hasn't regarded him fairly and some of his rather inappropriate comments later in life have really damned him in a lot of eyes.

Ford Frick ... the asterik on Roger Maris really bothers me. He was totally in the tank for Ruth due to their past relationship.

William Eckert ... Who? Who?

Bowie Kuhn ... Curt Flood anyone? If you're on the players side (as I am), this man continued more than a century of serf-like player treatment.

Peter Uberroth ... One word, collusion.

A. Bartlett Giamatti ... the William Henry Harrison of commissioners. Died before we could grade him.

Faye Vincent ... Lost the owners. Resigned in, what some would call, disgrace.

Bud Selig ... Steroids, steroids, steroids. If he couldn't tell the Incredible Hulk was playing first base, then I don't know what to tell you. Then you've got the strike, the canceling of the world series. Don't get me started.

They're all terrible. What say you?

I agree with your politics but can't say there weren't any good commissioners. Kenesaw Mountain Landis did a lot of great things for the game. Things didn't really begin to open up for blacks in general until after WWII. I am not defending the color barrier in the least, but it was a product of the times.

I also don't think you can blame Bud Selig for steroids. Selig is not the most magnanimous personality but the game has grown tremendously under him. There were a lot of politics with the MLBPA not wanting testing.

Also, Ueberroth was very successful.

A lot of the other commissioners did good things as well. You are saying there were no good commissioners, but clearly many did good things. None were infallible, but there is a difference between good and infallible. It's a little much to ask the commissioners to be infallible. I mean, who is?