Books and articles about Peter Ueberroth

Ueberroth was Commissioner of Baseball from after the 1984 season until before the 1989 season. The millionaire California travel agent became a public figure for his leadership organizing the 1984 Olympics, which turned a $215 million-dollar profit by exploiting corporate sponsorships and media contracts. As Commissioner of Baseball, he successfully increased owners' revenues through his television contract negotiations and marketing schemes that encouraged big-dollar promotional support from large corporations. The blot on Ueberroth's tenure was the owners' proven collusion against free agency by players. This highly visible restraint of trade left the owners with substantial contingent liabilities which survived Ueberroth's departure. Until final damages are awarded, the profit picture for his reign is incomplete.

Commissioner Ueberroth came down heavily on players who used cocaine, largely on the grounds that they were being poor role models. Several big names, including Dwight Gooden and Lonnie Smith, served drug-related suspensions while Ueberroth was in office. In 1989, Ueberroth turned over the Commissioner's reins to former NL president A. Bartlett Giamatti. (TF/MS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » March 3, 1984: Peter Ueberroth, the highly successful chairman of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the upcoming Summer Games, is elected to a 5-year term as commissioner of baseball. Ueberroth will take office on October 1st, succeeding Bowie Kuhn. » October 1, 1984: Peter Ueberroth begins his 5-year term as commissioner of baseball. » March 18, 1985: Commissioner Ueberroth reinstates Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, who had been banned from association with organized baseball by Bowie Kuhn due to their employment by Atlantic City casinos. » February 28, 1986: In baseball's sternest disciplinary move since the Black Sox were banished for life, Commissioner Ueberroth gives seven players who were admitted drug users a choice of a year's suspension without pay or heavy fines and career-long drug testing, along with 100 hours of drug-related community service. Joaquin Andujar, Jeffrey Leonard, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Dave Parker, Dale Berra, and Lonnie Smith will be fined 10 percent of their annual salaries, while 14 other players will receive lesser penalties for their involvement with illegal drugs. » February 25, 1987: In the wake of three drug-related incidents over the past 12 months, LaMarr Hoyt is banished from baseball for the 1987 season by Commissioner Ueberroth. On June 16th an arbitrator will reduce Hoyt's suspension to 60 days and order the Padres to reinstate him. » March 30, 1988: Reds OF Eddie Milner is suspended for the 1988 season by Commissioner Ueberroth after suffering a relapse of his cocaine problem. The suspension will be lifted June 19 after Milner completes a drug rehab program. » June 25, 1988: Expos P Floyd Youmans, who underwent alcohol rehabilitation last fall, is suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth for failing to comply with his drug-testing program. » September 8, 1988: National League president Bart Giamatti is unanimously elected baseball's 7th commissioner, and will succeed Peter Ueberroth next season. » February 21, 1989: Reds manager Pete Rose meets with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Commissioner-elect Bart Giamatti to discuss his gambling habits. "You can read anything you want into it," says Rose. "But I don't see anything bad."