The power of Bud

Love him or loathe him, there's no denying what Bud Selig wants, Bud Selig eventually gets.

For example:

-- Having the "acting" tag removed from his title of MLB commissioner? It took seven years, but check.

-- The introduction of the wild card? Check.

-- Interleague play? Check.

-- Moving the Milwaukee Brewers -- owned by his daughter Wendy at the time -- from the American League to National League? Check.

-- Awarding home field in the World Series to the winner of the all-star game? Check.

-- Drug testing? Check.

The 77-year-old commissioner's latest pet project has been seeking to add an extra wild card team in each league, and a report by MLB.com's Peter Gammons on Oct. 12 suggested the stars have once again aligned Selig's way.

But it hasn't been easy.

You see, in order to expand the postseason, Selig needs the backing of the MLB Players' Association -- with whom he is currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

The players' -- who aren't opposed to his idea -- would first like to see each team play the same interleague schedule as its division rivals, something that's impossible under MLB's current divisional alignment.

The solution appears simple enough: move someone from the six-team NL Central to the four-team AL West -- thus creating two, 15-team leagues each with three, five-team divisions.

The problem?

The most obvious candidate to move -- the Houston Astros -- is in the midst of an ownership change, and the club's new prospective owner -- Jim Crane -- has been playing hardball, reportedly seeking financial compensation from MLB for increased travel costs and the prospect of playing more games with later start times on the West Coast.

The $680-million sale was announced in May and was expected to be voted on and approved back in August at an owners' meeting, but at the last minute, MLB announced it needed more time to investigate the deal.

"The standard due diligence that must be completed before any transaction of this magnitude can close remains ongoing," MLB said in a statement.

The news came as a complete surprise to both Crane and current Astros owner Drayton McClane.

But given the financial difficulties with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers ownership -- and let's not forget the Texas Rangers were in bankruptcy court last summer -- perhaps that was indeed the holdup.

Or was the delay intended to be a stern reminder to Crane that in order to join Bud's club, one has to play by Bud's rules?

Following a meeting last week in Milwaukee between the two men, Crane released a brief statement: "…I had a constructive, one-on-one meeting with the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig. It was a very constructive meeting, positive in all respects, and our transaction continues to move forward."

If baseball has indeed completed it's "due diligence" on Crane, baseball's owners could vote on the deal when they meet Nov. 15-16 in Milwaukee.

Assuming the sale and move to the American League goes through, it would help pave the way for the new CBA with the players' association, including Selig's coveted extra wild card teams.

Selig has been an easy target for fans and media over the years -- and with good reason.

It was under his watch that the 1994 World Series was cancelled, steroids made a mockery of some of the game's records and it was his rain-soaked call to end the 2002 MLB All-Star game in a 7-7 tie and later to award World Series home field to the winning team in the mid-summer classic.

But as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract -- after which he claims he'll retire -- there's no question Selig is on a roll.

Baseball's finances have never been in better shape, long-term labour peace appears on the horizon and MLB's stringent drug-testing program has done the impossible and all but killed suspicion of rampant steroid use.

If Selig is looking for a John Elway-like conclusion to his career, the end of 2012 might be just the time.

A blog on America's national past-time from a Canadian perspective.