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Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent, Jr. (born May 29, 1938 in Waterbury, Connecticut) is a former entertainment and sports executive who served as the commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1989 to September 7, 1992.
Prior to becoming deputy commissioner under his friend Bart Giamatti, Fay Vincent was the chairman of Columbia Pictures and the vice chariman of Coca-Cola.
He became the 8th commissioner of baseball following the death of A. Bartlett Giamatti, and presided over the Loma Prieta earthquake which interrupted the 1989 World Series, the owner's lockout, and a suspension of George Steinbrenner in his first year.
Vincent also had plans to realign the National League (which may ultimately been the main cause for his forced resignation). Vincent wanted the Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Cardinals to move from the Eastern Division to the Western Division. The Cincinnati Reds
and Atlanta Braves, who had been a geographic mistake ever since Major League Baseball realigned in 1969, would move to the Eastern Division.
His relationship with baseball's owners was always tenuous at best; he resigned in 1992 after the owners gave him an 18-9 no confidence vote. He was replaced by Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig.
Because Selig's family retained ownership of the Brewers, Vincent was the last truly impartial commissioner of baseball, since he held no ownership of a team himself. Fay Vincent most recently, wrote his autobiography entitled "The Last Commissioner: A Baseball Valentine."
Vincent has also been connected with Pete Rose's lifetime banishment from baseball; however, Rose's banishment began while Giamatti was commissioner, not Vincent (although Vincent led the investigation and was involved in the negotiations). Vincent has publicly said he does not support Rose's reinstatement. In 2001, when baseball owners voted to contract two clubs, Vincent criticized them for not consulting the players union.
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