Bud Selig Bails on Bonds

Has Bud Selig finally seen the light?

He's bailed on Barry Bonds*.

The Commissioner of Major League Baseball wiil be at a meeting rather than waiting for Bonds* to hit 756.

NEW YORK -- Bud Selig decided to get together with George Mitchell this week rather than watch Barry Bonds. The baseball commissioner and some of his top aides are scheduled to meet with the chief steroids investigator later this week, a person with knowledge of the session said Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't allowed to discuss the meeting.

Mitchell said in May that his probe was in its "final phases," but he has not publicly stated a timetable for issuing his report.

Selig was in San Diego on Saturday night when Bonds hit his 755th home run to tie Hank Aaron's record, but he left California the following day and is not in San Francisco for the Giants' series against the Washington Nationals.

In Selig's absence, baseball was represented by executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, a special assistant in the commissioner's office.

Selig's spokesman, Rich Levin, said Tuesday he wasn't sure when Selig would resume attending Giants' games.

This is funny:

In Selig's absence, baseball was represented by executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, a special assistant in the commissioner's office.

Doesn't that sound like a U.S. president sending someone in his stead to attend the funeral of a foreign dignitary, to represent the country?

Selig is sending Jimmie Lee Solomon and Frank Robinson.

Should Bonds* hit 756, were Solomon and Robinson given orders as to how they should respond, acting as the representatives of baseball?

Were they told to stand but not cheer?

Look at their feet?

Hands in their pockets?

Maybe Selig had an awakening when he saw Bonds* hit 755. Maybe he finally realized that it was all wrong. Maybe he decided that he wouldn't be there to legitimize the moment.

Is that giving Selig too much credit?

Maybe.

It's possible that he's simply relieved that he has something else on his schedule and may manage to get out of being there when Bonds* hits 756.

So much criticism was heaped on him for his fence riding reaction after Bonds* hit 755.



How would Selig react to 756?

Boo?