One of University of Wisconsin’s most notable alumni is the former commissioner of Major League Baseball and current commissioner emeritus Allan “Bud” Selig. Selig now lectures at the university for the history course “Major League Baseball & American Society since World War II” alongside history professor David McDonald. In a conversation with the commissioner, he discussed baseball’s place as a microcosm of American culture and his own legacy in the sport’s history.
On baseball as a social institution
When looking at sports’ influence in society, baseball has been second to none in American culture. The sport has been a battleground for civil rights, immigration and a number of other issues that mirror social movements around the country.