It's a staple of the postseason. A time-honored tradition that has seemingly become a part of the sport. And Bud Selig hates it.
During a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig voiced his displeasure with the champagne-soaked celebrations that big league clubs engage in following postseason victories.
"This is something I am not happy about: spraying champagne all over," Selig told the Times. "I’m not a fan of that."
The origins of the champagne celebrations are unclear, but they go back several decades in Major League Baseball. A 2010 New York Times article notes that the league took steps to curb the celebrations, including issuing guidelines that limited the types of drinks teams could have and banning them from bringing alcohol on the field.
Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive vice president, told the New York Times that the league wanted to make sure the celebrations didn't get "out of hand." Former commissioner Fay Vincent was more blunt in his assessment.
"I think the celebrations are unattractive in large measure because they involve alcohol,” Vincent said. "It’s ritualized, and I think it’s silly."
The L.A. Times story did not explain why Selig is down on teams breaking out the bubbly, but educated speculation points to legal and financial factors.
The New York Times story points to a Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law article which suggests that teams should eliminate alcoholic celebrations because the club would be liable if a player was arrested for an alcohol-related incident after leaving the clubhouse.
Despite attempts by the league to crack down, the celebrations have become extremely lavish, with the Washington Nationals running through 60 bottles of Korbel and Dom Perignon 2002 and 20 cases of Miller Lite to celebrate their playoff berth recently.
At this point, Selig has already discussed the issue with teams.
"I’m not saying we will do anything," Selig said. "But it is something we have talked about."
(H/T to Yardbarker)
